Customs Aim For Two-Hour Cargo Processing At Tincan Island

The Nigeria Customs Service, Tincan Island Command, has announced that the full rollout of the B’Odogwu System at the command will cut cargo clearance times to approximately two hours.

During a media briefing on Thursday, the Customs Area Controller, Frank Onyeka, emphasized that the system is free of technical glitches, making it a reliable tool for simplifying the cargo clearance process and promoting smoother trade.

Onyeka also encouraged importers and clearing agents to ensure accurate and honest declarations.

“When B’Odogwu comes to Tincan and you declare appropriately, you can move your goods in two hours. Because B’Odogwu is ours, B’Odogwu is fresh, B’Odogwu is network glitch-free,” Onyeka said.

The CAC mentioned that the command is already engaging in massive sensitisation of stakeholders and training of appropriate personnel.

“Sensitisation is ongoing, and we believe that once we can spread that good news, we will get more people on board. We did a practical exam here for them to know the right buttons to press. Obviously, for things that are starting, it is not automatic. We are bound to have challenges, and those challenges are what we are trying to address,” the CAC said.

According to him, the problem is that agents are changing from what they consider to be the norm, “to something about to be perfect, and it will take a while. So we are there sensitising them and we are getting good news.”

Onyeka also revealed that the Tincan Island Command generated an impressive N145 billion in revenue in April 2025, a significant rise from the N95.7 billion collected in the same month last year.

He noted that the command has already collected N27 billion in revenue for May 2025, reflecting strong early performance.

The comptroller further acknowledged that compliance levels at the Tincan Port have been improving rapidly.

“And that is why we are not having many seizures, because they are not coming our way,” he added.

Earlier, the President of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria, Moses Ebosele, who led the delegation, commended the CAC for his open-door policy, adding that members of SCAN are guided by the ethics of the profession.