The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the World Bank Group, has launched a two-week technical assistance mission on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) aimed at strengthening revenue collection, enhancing compliance and facilitating smoother cross-border trade.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop in Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the initiative as a significant step towards building an intelligence-driven and technology-enabled customs administration.
Represented by Assistant Comptroller-General Babatunde Olomu, Adeniyi said the training, being conducted under the Accelerated Revenue Mobilisation Reform (ARMOR) Programme, will run until 12 June 2026.
He noted that customs administrations worldwide are increasingly moving away from restrictive transaction-based controls at ports towards risk-based post-clearance audits that promote voluntary compliance and trade facilitation.
According to him, the mission provides an opportunity to review existing procedures, identify operational gaps, adopt international best practices and develop practical measures to strengthen the service’s audit and compliance framework.
Adeniyi identified risk-based targeting, case management, registry management, quality assurance and integrated audit systems as key areas of focus, adding that a stronger audit regime would enhance transparency and public confidence in revenue administration.
World Bank Task Team Lead, Moses Kajubi, said the mission was designed to equip Customs officers with globally recognised audit methodologies and practical tools for effective field operations.
He emphasised the importance of leveraging data analytics and digital case management systems to improve audit quality, compliance monitoring and trade oversight.
“This engagement will equip participants with practical tools and global best practices that can be applied directly in the field to improve the effectiveness of Post Clearance Audit operations,” Kajubi said.
Lead Consultant for the ARMOR Programme, Colonel Aloke Dutt, underscored the need for standardised audit processes and data-driven accountability across Customs operations.
He urged the service to fully integrate advanced technology solutions, including the recently deployed B’Odogwu digital platform, alongside strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures to sustain a competency-based audit system nationwide.