By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews | Wednesday 30, September, 2026
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has commenced the full operationalisation of the Simplified Declaration for Passenger Baggage Import system to ease passenger clearance, improve transparency and strengthen revenue collection at the border.
The development was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, by John Tunde Ayagbalo, Superintendent of Customs and Public Relations Officer, Seme Area Command, on behalf of the Customs Area Controller.
According to the statement, the new digital system is part of the NCS’s ongoing efforts to promote digital innovation, facilitate legitimate trade and improve the efficiency of passenger clearance processes along the Seme border corridor.
The simplified declaration system allows passengers to initiate baggage declarations using their mobile devices or complete the process at designated digital kiosks provided by the Command.
Under the new arrangement, standardised and pre-programmed assessment tables are used to assess declared personal goods. The system automatically calculates applicable duties and generates receipts after payment.
The Command said the deployment is expected to reduce manual processes and discretionary assessment while giving passengers a more transparent, predictable and efficient procedure for clearing dutiable goods.
The Seme Area Command has already recorded an average passenger baggage clearance turnaround time of less than five minutes since the commencement of the deployment.
The Command also disclosed that within the first few days of implementation, it generated ₦10,340,260.02 in revenue from passenger baggage declarations alone.
According to the statement, the automated process provides a direct and transparent channel for the collection of customs duties payable into the Federation Account.
While prioritising trade facilitation, the Command stressed that the deployment would operate alongside strengthened enforcement measures to ensure that faster clearance does not undermine border security or compliance with customs laws.
It said enhanced risk management and intelligence-led controls would continue to be deployed to identify and intercept attempts to conceal commercial quantities of restricted or prohibited goods as passenger baggage.
The Command further stated that the simplified baggage declaration system forms part of its broader efforts to modernise customs operations, improve the passenger experience and strengthen revenue collection through technology-driven processes.
It added that it would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and sister government agencies operating at the Seme border corridor to facilitate the smooth movement of legitimate passengers and goods.
The collaboration, according to the Command, would also support effective controls against smuggling and other forms of illicit cross-border trade.
The Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, reaffirmed the commitment of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, to the deployment of technology and innovative processes that promote trade facilitation, transparency, accountability and compliance at the nation’s borders.
Kaila encouraged passengers, cross-border traders and other members of the trading community to make use of the simplified declaration system and comply with applicable customs requirements.
He assured the public that legitimate travel and commerce would continue to receive the necessary facilitation while the Service maintains appropriate controls in line with national security and economic protection.
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