The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has sought the help of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fast-track the integration of Nigerian commercial banks into its B’Odogwu trade facilitation system and automate exchange rate communication to improve duty collection.

Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of Customs, met with Olayemi Cardoso, the governor of the CBN, Thursday for the discussion. According to him, seamless collaboration between Customs and financial institutions is needed to enhance trade processes, boost revenue collection, and modernise customs operations.

Adeniyi explained that the B’Odogwu system, which was designed to replace the Nigerian Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) II, was introduced after the expiration of a long-standing service contract.

The platform, he said, would “improve efficiency in trade documentation and enhance revenue collection.”

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“We began piloting B’Odogwu at the Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Area Command in Lagos and integrated key trade documentation processes like Form M and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR). However, we faced some resistance from Authorised Dealer Banks (ADBs), which slowed progress,” he said.

The comptroller-general urged the CBN to grant necessary approvals for banks to fully integrate into the system, ensuring seamless foreign exchange transactions and trade-related payments.

Currently, the service relies on a manual process to receive exchange rate updates from the CBN for duty calculations. It will need the CBN to enable real-time, automated updates within the B’Odogwu system to eliminate delays and discrepancies.

Governor Cardoso assented to the proposition, pledging support for the full rollout of B’Odogwu.

“I am pleased to see a new direction in Customs operations. Collaboration is key, and we will continue to work closely to ensure seamless integration,” he said. “Our commitment is to provide the necessary support so that the banking sector aligns with this transition.”

He assured that the CBN would ensure compliance among commercial banks to enhance trade efficiency and revenue collection.

The NCS plans to expand the B’Odogwu system to other Customs commands nationwide as part of broader efforts to improve the ease of doing trade in and help revenue generation.