ECOWAS Lauds Customs Over B’ODOGWU Innovation, Increased Revenue Generation

The Regional Trade Facilitation Committee (RTFC) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commended the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for embracing innovation to initiate the Unified Customs Management System, also known as B’Odogwu
Speaking during a visit of the RTFC to PTML Command, which served as the pilot area for the B’Odogwu implementation, the Director of Trade at ECOWAS, Kolawole Sofola, praised Adeniyi and the PTML Command for the great achievements in trade facilitation and revenue collection recorded within the period it commenced implementing the project.

The ECOWAS director who led the team to learn about the activities of the command and get deeper insight into recent NCS activities, added that Nigeria is making gains with the deployment of modern innovations

Sofola also said the NCS is doing a great job in enabling economic growth through trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling.

He also lauded Controller of PTML, Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan for deploying the technology to achieve greater productivity like increased revenue

“On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, as well as the Commissioner responsible for Economic Affairs and Agriculture , I congratulate Comptroller Daniyan and his management team for the great work that they are doing, not only in generating revenue but also in stopping smuggling activities and promoting trade facilitation.

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“We came here to learn as a regional trade facilitation committee, consisting of all ECOWAS member states and we are very glad to have noted a very good practice in Nigeria. What Nigeria has been doing is evolving with the times.

They have moved from one system to improve to another system, to finally move to this current system which is homegrown.This command and in general the Nigerian customs service is doing well in promoting economic growth” he said

Customs Area Controller of the PTML Command, Comptroller Tenny Daniyan told the committee that since the inception of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) B’Odogwu, in November 2025 to date, the command has collected over N230 billion using the platform as at May 22, 2025.

Comptroller Daniyan revealed to the committee that B’Odogwu project was initially launched in a pilot phase at PTML Command and because of the success story, the management of the Nigeria Customs Service rolled out the project in 34 commands across the country

He noted that the B’Odogwu platform is unique in the sense that it is a home-grown application which was developed by the NCS officers in conjunction with the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP).

The PTML Command Controller said the Command now operates a two-hour cargo clearance .He said this can only be possible with compliant RoRo terminal and the clearance time will still reduce as the command keeps improving on its operations.

He stated that under the guidance and encouragement of the CGC there has always been constant sensitization, training and capacity building, not only for officers, but for all stakeholders like bankers, terminal operators, and everyone that is involved in the use of the project.

Explaining further, Comptroller Daniyan said “B’Odogwu replaced the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II) that was used .As you know, with any new thing, there is a challenge, especially with technology. We are going to have glitches and issues,but the uniqueness of this platform is that it is a home-grown application.

“We give kudos to our CGC because the spirit and the vision in him is what he has given to us by drinking from that fountain of innovation. He is a great innovator and a visionary for these very projects. “

Also speaking at the meeting, The B’Odogwu project manager, Assistant Comptroller Oyindamola Abass Oladepo while delivering a presentation on the application gave the history of how the project was initiated. He said N5.6 billion was realised from the platform just in a day.