Customs Deepen Reform Agenda, Target Corruption Risks Across Key Processes

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deepened its institutional reform agenda with a renewed focus on identifying and mitigating corruption risks across critical operational and administrative processes.

The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the United Kingdom International Development, was the focus of a workshop on corruption risk analysis, risk mapping and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop over the weekend at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the exercise was designed to strengthen institutional growth, integrity, and effective corruption risk management.

Adeniyi stressed that the assessment was not aimed at finding faults or apportioning blame, but at enabling the Service to examine its processes, identify vulnerabilities and develop sustainable solutions.

According to him, the assessment covered critical Customs processes, including regulatory and administrative procedures, cargo clearance, inspection and examination, enforcement and compliance, procurement, as well as human resource management.

“The purpose of what we have therefore been doing with our partners was to identify such areas of vulnerabilities, assess the associated risk and develop practical measures to mitigate them,” he said.

The CGC said the Service would continue to support measures aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, internal controls and process simplification, while expanding the use of technology to minimise unnecessary discretion in Customs operations.

He noted that improving the predictability and transparency of Customs processes would not only strengthen compliance but also facilitate legitimate trade and boost public confidence in the Service.

“A customs administration that is transparent, that is predictable and accountable, is better positioned to facilitate legitimate trade, improve compliance, and enhance public confidence,” Adeniyi stated.

Also speaking, the WCO Lead Technical Expert, Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, Arman Zhalitov, commended the Comptroller General for his continued support for the initiative.

Zhalitov urged members of the working group to ensure the endorsement and implementation of the workshop outcomes, particularly the comprehensive action plan developed to advance trade facilitation and strengthen the anti-corruption agenda of the NCS.

Similarly, the WCO Programme Manager for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, David Tanenbaum, highlighted progress recorded in areas including Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), post-clearance audit and the time-release study.

Tanenbaum stressed that integrity must be embedded across Customs reforms and operational processes, noting that the achievements recorded so far demonstrated the practical value of the partnership.

“Our work continues to bring us closer to a systematic, preventive approach to identifying and managing corruption risks within customs operations,” he said.

The latest initiative is expected to further strengthen the NCS reform programme by providing a structured approach to identifying vulnerabilities, improving internal controls and ensuring that corruption risks are addressed before they undermine Customs operations.

It also reinforces the Service’s broader efforts to build a more transparent, technology-driven and predictable Customs administration capable of facilitating legitimate trade while strengthening compliance and public confidence.