The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Idiroko on Monday, disclosed that works is in progress towards the resuscitating the long abandoned multi-mlion Naira scanning machine put in place at the Idiroko Border as part of the measures at meeting up with the core mandate of Service.
Customs Area Controller (CAC) for Ogun Area 1 Command, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu made this disclosure while speaking with news newsmen during the year 2025 commemoration of the International Customs’ Day held in Idiroko Border in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, Shuaibu noted that the Command has consistently stood as a pillar of operational excellence, contributing immensely towards fighting smuggling activities, revenue generation of the country, even amidst trade facilitation due to the strategic location of the border.
Speaking at the commemoration event, which had in attendance, heads of other security agencies which included representatives of the Nigerian Army, the Police, Immigration Service, DSS, NDLEA, NSCDC, as well as that of the Customs Service from the neighbouring Republic of Benin among other stakeholders, Shuaibu vowed that celebration of the year 2025 edition of the Day would afford NCS to evolve innovative means through which Customs’ operations could be enhanced.
While emphasising on the need to deepen stakeholders’ collaborations, the CAC further promised that the Service will leverage on modern technology to address all emerging challenges that would enable them uphold the ideals of efficiency towards discharging their duties to the country.
It would be recalled that the Ogun 1 Command of NCS has on many occasions, burst series of criminal activities, particularly smugglers who had attempted smuggling firearms and ammunition into the country but we’re intercepted at the command through the networks of its intelligence.
Speaking on measures being put in place to step up security at the Idiroko Border and also reduce phisical examinations of containers while facilitating trade processes however, Shuaibu said he had inspected the long abandoned Idiroko scanning machine to enable him ascertain the condition and what other things that needed to be done on the equipment that was last used over five years ago.
“If you cast your mind back to year 2018 when all the borders in Nigeria were closed, both imports and exports were suspended and these scanner was there; nobody was using it, neither was anyone moving closer to it. Even the officers that were trained to use the machines, a lot of them have retired”.
“So, when I resumed for duty here in Idiroko Border, I visited the site to see how we can resuscitate the machine towards making it come back to live again because the federal government has spent lots of money towards installing it. So, in a very short period of time, it will come back to live”.
In his lecture which he delivered at the event, the guest lecturer, Assistant Controller of Customs (ACC), Clement Amaweh advocated that NCS’ management must effectively leverage on technology to enable the Service meet up with its core mandate of combating smuggling, trade facilitation, as well as revenue generation towards safeguarding the country’s porous borders.
Amaweh however, disclosed that the e-Customs’ project, the Single Window Platform, as well as the Cooperation and collaboration with critical stakeholders among other recommendations would be the magus needed by the Service to enable it perform efficiently in its quest towards achieving success.
“The e-Customs’ project aims to modernise the Nigeria Customs Service operations by fully digitising Customs process including administration, payment, Border management, import/export and transit processing “.
Amaweh emphatically declared that following these processes would lead to increased revenue generation, reduced corruption and efficient trade environments without compromising the National security.