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Nigeria set to integrate its customs operations with SIGMAT to ease transit goods within West African countries.

The Eyewitness Reporter
The Nigeria Customs Service has indicated its readiness to integrate its operations into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) for ease of transit of goods within the Central and West African countries.
SIGMAT is an electronic platform connecting national Customs systems to share data on transit operations.
The objective is to secure, simplify and speed up the flow of commercial goods in transit, especially those coming from seaports and destined for land-locked countries.

Unlike other Customs procedures, which happen in one place, transit requires an exchange of information from at least three areas, namely where the transit was initiated, at the borders, and where it terminates.

In West Africa, the process requires a transit declaration to be registered at the border of each country until the cargo reaches its destination.

With SIGMAT, Customs administrations in West Africa are moving away from manual and paper-based transit procedures by connecting their computer systems.

A transit declaration is registered in the departure country, and a copy of it is sent electronically to the computer systems of the transit and destination countries to warn of the arrival of the goods.

At borders, trucks are not required to wait for a new Customs declaration; the same declaration is used during the entire process.

Customs officers at the border, or at the destination office, then confirm the arrival of the goods in their computer system and confirmation is sent electronically to the departure country.

As the Customs administrations involved in the project use three different types of automated Customs systems, an interface had to be built to allow for this exchange of information, and standardized messages – in terms of structure and data format – had to be developed.

While the Customs Administrations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo are already in the loop, Nigeria is still missing.
However, the decision of the Nigeria Customs to join the regional electronic platform was one of the high points of the visit the Acting  Comptroller General of Customs, Wale Adeniyi, to his counterpart in the Republic of Benin Monday, July 24th, 2023.
During the visit, the Nigerian Customs entourage led by Adeniyi, made a strategic engagement with the Customs administration of Benin where issues of common interests were discussed.
During the visit, the two Customs chiefs engaged with stakeholders from both countries and their concerns were identified and effectively considered.
Notable among the concerns is the request to review the possibilities of reopening the border, as well as addressing the issue of administrative charges.
According to Adeniyi, the visit is to deepen collaborations in mutually positive areas.
 “The objective of the visit is for us to review friendship with the customs administration of Benin and also to deepen collaborations in areas of common interest”.
“I saw the attention that was given to the port of Cotonou, the progress that is being made in reducing clearance time, ensuring that there is no congestion at the Port and, more importantly, using technology to drive operations of the Customs Administration”, he said.
“The attempt which Benin Customs has done towards trade facilitation is something that Nigeria Customs will also be doing particularly to look at where we can use our processes to reduce the cost and time of doing business”, he explained.
At the end of the meeting, a joint communique signed by the two delegations read as follows:
The continuation of efforts to promote the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme and the facilitation of the movement of goods and community products in particular;
 Facilitation of the issue of Laisse passe for a short stay in one of the countries of means of transport registered in the other country;
 The removal of barriers and other obstacles to legitimate trade and the establishment of Customs units when the traffic justifies it;
Strict compliance with transit rules,harmonization of the list of products prohibited by the two countries;
Strengthening the fight against cross-border crime through cooperation, intelligence sharing and the pooling of resources;
Holding meetings twice a year to discuss matters of common interest;
 The reactivation of the joint committee for monitoring trade and transit relations
The revival of consultation frameworks of border customs units with the active participation of the private sector;
– Promoting good relations with border populations, professionalism and tax compliance and securing the international supply chain.
Before the departure of the Nigeria Customs delegation to the neighbouring country, Adeniyi and his entourage had a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Benin, Mr. Patrice TALON, where he expressed his desire to initiate a new turning point marked by close collaboration in all areas.

 

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Customs

Customs, NDLEA bust major drug syndicate, seize 9 containers of illicit goods worth N53.39 Billion at Apapa port

Funso OLOJO and Gloria Odion

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against illicit trade with the interception of nine containers laden with narcotics, expired pharmaceutical products and falsified medicines valued at N53.391 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.

Speaking during the unveiling of the seizures on Wednesday, July 1st, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the operation was made possible through intelligence sharing, inter-agency collaboration and the deployment of non-intrusive inspection technology.

According to Adeniyi, the containers, which initially appeared to contain legitimate imports, were subjected to detailed intelligence analysis and verification that exposed sophisticated concealment methods used by the syndicate.

The seizures comprised:
A 40-foot container (CAAU7569127) containing 3,639 parcels of Cannabis Sativa (Canadian Loud) weighing 1,819.5 kilograms, concealed alongside three imported vehicles and assorted automobile spare parts.

Another 40-foot container (HAMU3246311) conveying 9,918 sachets of Cannabis Sativa weighing approximately 4.95 metric tonnes, hidden with two imported vehicles and household items.


A 40-foot container (MRKU3816476) loaded with 1,700 cartons (170,000 bottles) of Codeine Syrup, concealed with 38 cartons of insulated casserole dishes.

Another container (TGBU5399178) containing 1,698 cartons (169,800 bottles) of Codeine Syrup, hidden inside 36 cartons of casserole products.

Container HASU4519480 carrying 1,300 cartons of expired pharmaceutical products, including Tramadol (Timakadol).

Container MRKU4961275 containing 1,269 cartons of expired pharmaceutical products, including Oxytocin injections, Mexclor Eye Drops and Carbamazepine tablets (Termigral brand).

Container PCIU8771576 conveying expired pharmaceutical products, including Cloxicillin capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 injections and Becoline B-Complex injections.

A 20-foot container (MRKU6964435) loaded with Piccan Teething Powder.

Container TCKU7000791 carrying 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake NAFDAC registration number (04-6646) and an expiry date of December 2028.

Adeniyi explained that the narcotic consignments would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while the expired and falsified pharmaceutical products would be transferred to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation, regulatory action and safe disposal.

“In accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, narcotic drugs falling within the statutory jurisdiction of the NDLEA will today be formally handed over to the Agency for further investigation and prosecution.

“Similarly, expired pharmaceutical products will be transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action and safe disposal.

“The remaining goods shall remain in the custody of the Nigeria Customs Service for seizure, forfeiture, condemnation, revenue recovery and other enforcement actions as provided by law,” the CGC stated.

He stressed that the seizures represented far more than their monetary value.

“These seizures represent far more than monetary value. They represent lives protected, families preserved, communities secured and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs boss commended officers and men of the Apapa Area Command for their professionalism, vigilance and dedication, while also praising the sustained collaboration among the NCS, NDLEA, NAFDAC and other security agencies.

“We shall continue to intercept, expose and prosecute all those who threaten our economy, compromise public health or undermine the security of our nation.

“Together with our partner agencies, we remain steadfast in protecting our borders, facilitating legitimate trade, preserving the health of our citizens and securing the future of our country,” he added.

 

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, disclosed that the interception of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud was the outcome of a painstaking intelligence-driven operation undertaken by the agency’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with foreign partners, particularly the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

According to Marwa, intelligence gathering and surveillance lasted for more than four months before the containers were intercepted.

“Over four months, actionable intelligence was carefully developed, and our marine surveillance officers tracked the vessels and containers throughout their journey until both were successfully intercepted,” he said.

The operation underscores the growing effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation and international intelligence sharing in disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks and preventing dangerous narcotics and counterfeit medicines from reaching the Nigerian market.

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Customs

Wale Adeniyi, CGC, bags one-year tenure extension as WCO Council Chairman

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Few days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extended the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, by an additional six months, the World Customs Organization (WCO) has also renewed his tenure as Chairman of its Council for another one year.

The decision was unanimously endorsed by member countries during the 147th and 148th sessions of the WCO Council held in Brussels, Belgium, reaffirming the confidence of the global customs community in Adeniyi’s leadership.

Addressing members of the NCS management team who gave him a rousing welcome on his return to Nigeria on Monday, June 29, 2026, Adeniyi revealed that he had travelled to Brussels expecting to hand over the chairmanship but was instead entrusted with another one-year mandate.

“I sincerely appreciate your support. I went to Brussels believing I was going to hand over, but the outcome was different. The Council renewed my tenure for another one year, and I dedicate this achievement to the entire Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

Adeniyi made history in June 2025 when he became the first Nigerian to be elected Chairman of the WCO Council, the highest decision-making body of the global customs organisation.

The renewal of his international mandate comes just days after President Tinubu approved a six-month extension of his tenure as Comptroller-General of Customs, a development widely seen as a strong endorsement of his leadership, reform initiatives and outstanding performance both nationally and internationally.

In recognition of the milestone, the NCS management team presented the Comptroller-General with a symbolic souvenir to celebrate his exemplary leadership and contributions to the transformation of the Service.

Responding to the gesture, Adeniyi expressed appreciation to the management team for their unwavering support, describing the honour as a reflection of the unity, professionalism and shared commitment that exist within the Nigeria Customs Service.

The renewed confidence reposed in him by both the Federal Government and the international customs community is expected to further strengthen the Nigeria Customs Service’s ongoing reform agenda, deepen global partnerships, enhance trade facilitation and reinforce Nigeria’s growing influence in international customs administration.

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Customs

Wale Adeniyi,CGC, bags tenure extension as WCO Chairman 

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
Few days after his tenure as the Comptroller- General of the Nigeria customs service was renewed by additional six months by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the World Customs Organization(WCO), has also followed suit by the renewal of the tenure of Adewale Adeniyi as the Council Chairman of the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The  council members, at the 147th and 148th WCO sessions at Brussels, Belgium, were unanimous in their decision to allow Adeniyi to continue as the Chairman of the global Customs body.
While addressing his management team which gave his a rousing welcome on his return on Monday, June, 29th, 2026, the CGC said he went to Brussels to hand over but was rather rewarded with tenure extension.
“I sincerely appreciate your support. I went to Brussels believing I was going to hand over, but the outcome was different.
” The Council renewed my tenure for another one year, and I dedicate this achievement to the entire Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.
Adeniyi was elected as the Chairman of the global Customs body in June 2025 as the first Nigerian to be so honored.
The renewal of his Council Chairmanship coincides with the renewal of his tenure by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the CGC by another six months, thus confirming the national and global recognition of his capacity, leadership qualities and exceptional performance as number one customs officer in Nigeria and the world.
Recognizing the rare feat achieved by the CGC, his management team welcomed him from the WCO council sessions with a symbolic souvenir that showed their love to their principal and exemplary leadership and contributions to the growth and transformation of the NCS.
Responding, CGC Adeniyi thanked the management team for their unwavering support, describing the gesture as a reflection of the unity and shared commitment within the Service.
He disclosed that he travelled  to Brussels expecting to hand over the chairmanship of the WCO Council but was instead entrusted with another one-year mandate by members of the Council.
The renewed international mandate, alongside the extension of his tenure as CGC,  reinforces confidence in his leadership and is expected to further advance the Service’s reform agenda, international partnerships, and trade facilitation efforts.
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