Customs unveils SCADS platform to end airport delays, boost passenger clearance efficiency

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The Nigeria Customs Service has launched a new digital baggage declaration platform aimed at reducing delays and improving passenger clearance processes at the nation’s international airports.

The platform, known as the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS), was officially unveiled on Monday at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, according to a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday.

Speaking during the launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, described the deployment as a significant milestone in the Service’s digital transformation drive under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

Adebakin explained that the initiative was introduced following operational difficulties experienced with the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year.

“When the earlier platform experienced operational challenges, we chose not to see it as a setback. We saw it as an opportunity to build something better, stronger and more efficient,” she said.

According to her, the SCADS platform enables inbound international passengers to declare their baggage before arrival, a development expected to reduce clearance time and improve operational efficiency.

“For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” she added.

She further stated that the platform would eliminate subjective revenue assessment by ensuring that Customs duties are automatically generated based on the quantity, value and nature of declared items.

“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue. With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” Adebakin stated.

The Customs Area Controller, FCT Area Command, Victoria Alibo, said the selection of the Command for the pilot phase reflected confidence in its operational capacity.

She noted that the SCADS platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework aligned with international Customs standards.

“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” Alibo said.

She disclosed that the pilot phase of the platform would run from May 18 to May 22, 2026, to allow officers assess the system in a live operational environment ahead of nationwide deployment.

The launch was attended by senior Customs officers, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, partner government agencies, technical teams and other stakeholders in the aviation and border management sector.