THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new automated passenger clearance system at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, designed to streamline baggage clearance and eliminate manual bottlenecks for international travelers.

The Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS) was officially inaugurated as a pilot project at the airport’s international wing.

A statement by the agency’s National Public Relations Officer(PRO), Abdullahi Maiwada, explained that the digital platform allows inbound passengers to declare accompanied baggage and commercial items electronically before arriving in the country.

Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, revealed that the initiative was developed as a superior alternative after the agency’s previous digital passenger platform suffered technical hitches earlier this year.

She said that “When the earlier platform experienced operational challenges, we chose not to see it as a setback. We saw it as an opportunity to build something better, stronger and more efficient,.”

Adebakin further explained that by enabling travelers to log their items ahead of time, the system would dramatically reduce processing times and improve compliance at the borders.

She adds that “For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports.”

A major feature of SCADS according to the statement, is the automation of tariff assessment, which customs officials say will remove human bias from the calculation of import duties.

Under the new digital framework, duties are automatically computed based on the quantity and verified value of the declared goods.

“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue.

“With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” DCG Adebakin stated.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Command has been selected to host the pilot phase of the rollout.
The Customs Area Controller for the command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, noted that the software integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce into a single framework.

Alibo said “SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards.”

The live testing environment is scheduled to run for five days, from Monday 18 May to Friday 22 May 2026, to allow technical teams to evaluate system stability and iron out any software bugs before the platform is deployed to international airports nationwide.

The launch was attended by representatives from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), alongside aviation stakeholders and border security agencies.