By ZAKAA LAZARUS
Following the successful deployment of its Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), codenamed B’odogwu, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified strategic engagements with key stakeholders to consolidate gains and drive system-wide integration.
In a virtual meeting on Monday, April 14, 2025, the NCS engaged officials of Access Bank to align operational frameworks and deepen collaboration in support of trade facilitation and financial system integration.
Led by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Kikelomo Adeola, the session also included the Service’s National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, and Assistant Comptroller Bukola Omoniyi from ICT/Modernisation Department.
The engagement focused on enhancing synergy between Customs and the financial sector, particularly in streamlining payment systems, boosting data exchange, and ensuring real-time processing of trade-related transactions through the B’odogwu platform.
During the meeting, DCG Adeola reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to seamless stakeholder integration in the post-deployment consolidation phase.
“The deployment of B’odogwu marks a new era in Customs administration,” she said. “Our next priority is to strengthen partnerships with financial institutions like Access Bank to fully unlock the platform’s potential for automation, transparency, and trade efficiency.”
She added that B’odogwu, developed as an indigenous solution, has already transformed Customs operations by unifying procedures, automating declarations, and enabling real-time transaction monitoring.
“To achieve optimal functionality, all players within the trade value chain must be fully integrated. This engagement with Access Bank is not just timely—it is strategic,” she noted.
In response, Olatunbosun Oladunke, Head of Global Trade at Access Bank, commended the NCS for its forward-thinking digital transformation and assured the Bank’s support.
“The B’odogwu platform represents a major leap in digital trade processing. Access Bank is fully aligned with the NCS vision and is committed to ensuring system compatibility—particularly in trade finance and payment automation,” he said.
Also. Olakunle Aderinokun, Head of Media and Public Relations at Access Holdings/Access Bank, stressed the importance of stakeholder engagement and public awareness.
“Public buy-in is critical to the success of any reform.
We will collaborate with the Service to drive awareness of B’odogwu and educate stakeholders on the value it brings to the trading ecosystem,” he stated.
The meeting forms part of the NCS’s broader strategy to accelerate its trade modernisation agenda through strategic partnerships, transparency, and continuous innovation.
With B’odogwu now operational, the NCS is steadily advancing toward a fully digital, integrated, and globally compliant Customs system that supports Nigeria’s economic aspirations.
