By Bon Peters
PORT HARCOUT/Nigeria: The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, has called on freight agents and maritime stakeholders in the Eastern Ports corridor to fully embrace the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), popularly known as B’Odogwu, describing it as a transformative innovation for trade facilitation and cargo clearance in Nigeria.
Adeniyi made the call during a one-day sensitization summit organized by the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), in collaboration with Global Rays Media, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday. The event, themed “Ports Cargo Clearance and Logistics: A B’Odogwu Connectivity and E-Call Up,” drew key industry players and port administrators.
Represented by Assistant Comptroller Abass Oladepo, Project Manager for B’Odogwu in Zone C, the Customs boss said the new platform is designed to ensure seamless operations, faster cargo clearance, and improved efficiency in port logistics. He described B’Odogwu as an ideal customs management system that embodies the agency’s commitment to ease of doing business and transparency in trade operations.
“The essence of the B’Odogwu project is to ensure that agents and traders clear their goods without delay,” he stated. “Once goods are cleared quickly, trucks can easily access the ports to take delivery through the E-Call Up system.”
Adeniyi disclosed that the system, which was first launched at the Ports and Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) in Lagos on October 23, 2024, has already generated over ₦2 trillion in revenue, underscoring its efficiency and fiscal impact.
While acknowledging initial implementation challenges, he noted that freight agents and other stakeholders have increasingly accepted the system due to its proven benefits in revenue generation and time management. “People tend to resist new innovations—it’s natural—but there is no alternative to B’Odogwu for now. It is faster, more reliable, and far superior to the old NICIS platform,” he emphasized.
The Customs chief assured that the Service was addressing all technical and operational concerns raised by users, stressing that B’Odogwu is not just a name but a performance-driven process that reflects Customs’ evolving commitment to innovation.
He added that findings from recent Time Release Studies indicated significant improvement in Nigeria’s cargo clearance process, pledging that any bottlenecks encountered would be promptly tackled to sustain smooth operations at the ports.
In his welcome address, the National President of AREFFN, Comrade Prince Obinna Ugochukwu, commended the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for introducing the B’Odogwu and E-Call Up systems, respectively, describing them as complementary tools for efficient trade facilitation.
He noted that the sensitization summit was aimed at educating maritime practitioners and port operators on the benefits of the new systems to enhance synergy among stakeholders. “The indigenous B’Odogwu connectivity system has proven to be faster, time-saving, and convenient,” Ugochukwu said, while acknowledging minor network issues that accompany early-stage innovations.
He lauded the Comptroller General for his vision and urged him to address existing network challenges and variations in duty payments to further improve the platform’s efficiency and boost revenue generation.
Speaking on the E-Call Up initiative, Ugochukwu called on the NPA to enforce strict compliance among truck drivers and logistics operators to prevent sabotage. He commended the NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, for his leadership in streamlining truck access and port entry processes.
Representatives of the NPA and Nigerian Shippers Council, Surajudeen Abolade and Mrs. Ify Okolue, also addressed participants, emphasizing that the E-Call Up system would reduce congestion, improve data management for truck operations, and enhance overall port efficiency.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards of excellence to deserving individuals and organizations, including the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho of NPA, Barr. Pius Akutah of the Nigerian Shippers Council, West African Container Terminal (WACT), Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT), and several industry stakeholders for their contributions to maritime progress.
Receiving an award on behalf of OMT, the company’s Commercial Manager, Mr. Charles Okogbue, thanked the organizers for the recognition and pledged continued collaboration on initiatives that promote efficiency and innovation in port operations.
Also present at the summit were representatives of major freight associations, including ANLCA and NAGAFF, alongside Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, Customs Area Controller of Area 1 Command, Port Harcourt, who assured participants of an open-door policy and a renewed focus on trade facilitation and zero cargo delay.
