The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has resolved a technical glitch that disrupted the transmission of Product Certificates and SONCAP documents required for the processing of Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR) on the B’Odogwu platform.
The disruption, which began on July 23, followed integration challenges encountered during the onboarding of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) onto the upgraded system. The glitch, officials said, affected the ability of traders and customs agents to accurately capture essential trade documentation, including Form M, PAAR, and the Single Goods Declaration (SGD).
“These system-related issues temporarily impacted traders’ ability to submit documentation correctly,” said Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS National Public Relations Officer, in a statement issued on Thursday.
Maiwada said the technical hiccup included problems such as ambiguous error prompts, missing 10-digit product codes, formatting restrictions for trader names, and the inability to link Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) to trader profiles. Although the NCS resolved the issues on its end, full restoration of services required coordination with SON’s systems.
“As of Wednesday, August 6, both agencies have fully resolved the transmission issues,” Maiwada said, assuring the trading community that product certificates are now being transmitted seamlessly. He added that the backlog of delayed transactions is currently being cleared.
To support users during the transition, the NCS has rolled out the B’Odogwu platform nationwide across Zones A, B, C, and D. Trained customs officers have been deployed across commands to provide on-site technical assistance to importers and clearing agents.
The service also said it is holding regular stakeholder training sessions to strengthen capacity, enhance compliance, and resolve any recurring platform-related challenges.
NCS reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, inter-agency collaboration, and sustained stakeholder engagement in its digital transformation journey.
