The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to strengthen its internal anti-corruption framework through a risk-mapping exercise conducted in partnership with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the United Kingdom International Development.
The initiative, which focuses on corruption risk analysis, risk mapping and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), is aimed at identifying vulnerabilities within Customs processes and establishing practical safeguards against abuse.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the WCO-supported workshop in Abuja on Friday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the exercise represented an important step in strengthening institutional integrity and improving the Service’s approach to corruption risk management.
The event, held at the NCS headquarters in Maitama, was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Customs National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.
Adeniyi said the exercise was not intended to expose individuals or apportion blame, but to enable the Service to critically examine its systems, identify weaknesses and develop sustainable solutions.
“The purpose of what we have therefore been doing with our partners was to identify such areas of vulnerabilities, assess the associated risk and develop practical measures to mitigate them,” he said.
The assessment covered several critical areas of Customs operations, including regulatory and administrative procedures, clearance processes, inspection and examination, enforcement and compliance, procurement and human resource management.
The CGC said the Service would continue to pursue reforms that promote transparency, accountability and stronger internal controls, while simplifying procedures and expanding the use of technology to minimise unnecessary discretion.
According to him, strengthening institutional processes is essential to building public confidence and creating a more predictable environment for legitimate trade.
“A customs administration that is transparent, that is predictable and accountable, is better positioned to facilitate legitimate trade, improve compliance, and enhance public confidence,” he said.
The WCO Lead Technical Expert for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, Arman Zhalitov, commended Adeniyi for his support for the initiative and urged the working group to ensure that the recommendations emerging from the workshop were endorsed and implemented.
He said the workshop had produced a comprehensive action plan containing practical steps to advance trade facilitation and strengthen the Service’s anti-corruption agenda.
Also speaking, the WCO Programme Manager for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, David Tanenbaum, pointed to progress recorded through the partnership in areas including Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), post-clearance audit and the time-release study.
Tanenbaum noted that integrity could not be treated in isolation from broader institutional reforms, stressing that the gains recorded demonstrated the practical value of the partnership.
“Our work continues to bring us closer to a systematic, preventive approach to identifying and managing corruption risks within customs operations,” he said.
The latest initiative signals a move towards a more preventive integrity framework within the NCS, with emphasis on identifying weaknesses before they become avenues for corruption, while improving the consistency and predictability of Customs procedures.