The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Tincan Island Port Command posted a ₦16.4 billion revenue haul on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, its highest single-day collection to date, following the full rollout of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) “B’Odogwu.”
In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Oscar Ivara, the record reflects faster duty assessment and payment confirmation achieved through end-to-end digital processing across valuation, documentation, and release workflows.
Digital rails lift throughput
Customs Area Controller Frank Onyeka said the new platform has widened real-time access for licensed customs agents and importers to complete payments and advance cargo to release without queue-driven delays.
According to him, integrating critical checkpoints—risk profiling, assessment, payment verification and release—inside one interface has shortened cycle times, reduced manual touchpoints, and improved audit trails.
Onyeka added that embedding live transaction status and automated reconciliation with payment partners has tightened compliance and reduced error rates, supporting steadier daily collections.
What the record means
-
Revenue assurance: Synchronised assessment-to-payment events inside UCMS are limiting leakages and improving the fidelity of collections.
-
Operational speed: Consolidated processing is lowering dwell time at terminals and improving yard fluidity.
-
Compliance and visibility: Consistent valuation logic and searchable logs strengthen post-clearance controls and dispute resolution.
-
User access: Agents and importers interface with a single, always-on portal rather than fragmented manual steps.
One system, coordinated actors
The command said the result stems from sustained user onboarding, process discipline, and collaboration with terminal operators, shipping lines, and banks. With stakeholders operating on the same data backbone, exceptions are surfaced earlier, and interventions are targeted, cutting idle time and ancillary costs for port users.
The digitisation drive is aligned with federal objectives to modernise port services, raise non-oil revenues and improve Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
Predictable timelines and transparent calculations lower indirect costs for businesses, while structured data enhances government forecasting and policymaking.
Next steps
Tincan Island Port Command plans to deepen UCMS utilisation, expand training for users, and refine workflows based on transaction analytics.
Priority areas include further reducing manual overrides, broadening dashboard visibility for stakeholders, and tightening service-level timelines from assessment to release.
The ₦16.4 billion performance provides a clear benchmark for what scaled digitisation can deliver in customs administration: higher collections, faster processing, and stronger accountability.
The command said it will continue to anchor operations on a coordinated, business-friendly model that supports legitimate trade while safeguarding revenue for national development.
