THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is moving to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance revenue generation, bolster fiscal discipline, and ensure transparent public accounting.

Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adeniyi made this known during a three-day capacity-building workshop yesterday in Abuja.

Unveiling the initiative, the CGC said the programme aims to transition the Service towards a technology-driven ecosystem to minimise leakages and improve the accuracy of remittances to the federation account.

He stated that the Service is “flipping the script” on traditional oversight by proactively inviting legislators to witness the technological advancements intended to streamline accountability.

“We are all united in the best form possible to ensure transparency in public accounts.

“We are united by a common objective of achieving fiscal discipline and bringing some holdings of accounts in our duty of revenue generation,” Adeniyi-said.

He noted that the NCS has already begun integrating AI into its non-intrusive inspection regimes.

“We have cameras that are AI-enabled, that can actually predict image analysis to identify objects that may be considered [contraband],” he explained.

He further emphasised that the training would equip officers to operate in an AI-driven environment which he hoped would lead to fewer parliamentary summons in the future due to improved record-keeping.

The training which is attended by members of the National Assembly Public Accounts Committees and various fiscal stakeholders is expected to ensure stakeholders are on same footing and understand interagency nexus.

Echoing these sentiments, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration, and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola, described AI as an essential present-day tool rather than a futuristic concept.

According to her, “Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept or procedure. It is a present-day tool that offers unprecedented opportunities to optimise revenue processes, minimise leakages, improve remittance accuracy, and ensure seamless reconciliation.”

She further noted that the complexity of global trade necessitates a shift away from manual systems.

“From automated data analysis to predictive intelligence and real-time reconciliation systems, AI presents us with the capability to transform how we manage and safeguard public funds,” she pointed.

The workshop marks a collaborative effort between the executive arm and oversight bodies, including the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

Officials expressed confidence that the synergy between technology and legislative oversight would create a more transparent revenue value chain for the nation.