Customs Engages Stakeholders to Address B’Odogwu Platform Challenges at PTML
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Command has initiated a renewed stakeholder engagement effort aimed at resolving challenges linked to the B’Odogwu platform, the newly introduced digital Customs processing system.
This was revealed by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Tenny Daniyan, during a two-day programme tagged “Second Phase of B’Odogwu Stakeholders Re-sensitisation” held at the command.
B’Odogwu, a homegrown application developed by NCS ICT personnel, is the local name for the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS). It was formally deployed at the PTML Command in October 2024 by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.
The system is designed to serve operations across Nigeria’s seaports, land borders, and airports, with a name meant to resonate with stakeholders.
Comptroller Daniyan explained that the re-sensitisation initiative aims to deepen collaboration with stakeholders as the Service pushes forward with its digital transformation agenda.
He encouraged users experiencing difficulties to engage Customs officers directly for support, with the goal of reducing processing times as platform mastery improves.
Highlighting early milestones, Daniyan stated that the first single goods declaration, valuation, and assessment processed through B’Odogwu was successfully completed, with payment made on November 1, 2024.
He added that the system comes preloaded with key import information and bank codes to facilitate smooth cargo clearance. He also urged stakeholders to ensure proper Form M submissions, warning that incomplete documentation could hinder progress in the system.
Assistant Comptroller Abass Oladepo, who serves as the B’Odogwu Project Manager at PTML, reinforced Customs’ commitment to improved efficiency, noting that the Command has been operating a 24-hour port system and is now targeting a two-hour cargo clearance process.
“On average, the command has achieved port clearance in less than six hours annually,” Oladepo stated.
He called on importers and clearing agents to submit honest declarations and avoid duplication, pointing out that inaccurate documentation leads to unnecessary delays. He linked B’Odogwu to the CGC’s broader goals of “Consolidate, Collaborate, and Innovate” across Customs operations.
“We don’t want any kind of delay from our end, but to make Customs work easier, you need to help us by ensuring you fill in proper documentation,” he added.
Oladepo also referenced a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) letter from April 2025 confirming B’Odogwu as a permanent platform and encouraged stakeholders to begin opening Form M and generating PAAR directly through the system.
Alhaji Sulaimon Ayokunle, Secretary of the Association of Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at PTML, praised the Customs Service for driving trade facilitation and for engaging stakeholders during the early phases of the platform’s deployment.
He said, “We appreciate the B’Odogwu platform; we cannot afford to lose a second of our time because our job is directly attached to demurrage and rents. We just have to do what is right and at the right time.”
Ayokunle described PTML as the pilot ground for B’Odogwu and called for its rollout across other Customs commands. He applauded Assistant Comptroller Oladepo for encouraging stakeholder involvement and advocated for improved infrastructure, especially lighting and technical support to ensure seamless operations.
Mr. Afeez Balogun, Manager at TDI Group and a clearing agent at PTML, confirmed that B’Odogwu had helped lower costs and enabled faster clearance. While noting that some of his staff were still adapting to the new system, he welcomed the continued sensitisation and expressed hope for full integration in the near future.
He also raised a specific technical issue with the platform, pointing out that PTML is not yet available as a selectable option in the “Port of Discharge (POD)” field despite the directive to import through Grimaldi Terminal at PTML.
Mrs. Chibuzo Okonkwo, Executive Director of Muchis Chamars Ltd., also spoke at the event. She commended Customs for reducing cargo damage and urged other stakeholders to avoid abnormalities in the documentation process, which could disrupt trade.
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