Customs Embraces Digital Technology to Boost Excise Revenue, Combat Illicit Production
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi Area Command, has identified digital technology as a critical tool for improving excise duty collection, strengthening compliance and curbing illicit production in the country.
The Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Adeyinka Bodunde, stated this while receiving participants of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC) Junior Course 25 during a two-day Operational Study Tour at the Command Headquarters in Enugu.
The study tour, themed “Leveraging the Use of Technology as a Tool for Effective Excise Control and Protection of Society,” was designed to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and practical operational experience.
Bodunde said excise duties constitute a significant component of the Command’s revenue, adding that the adoption of technology had significantly improved the monitoring of factories and manufacturing facilities.
He said the deployment of the Excise Register System and the Universal Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, had improved compliance, enhanced transparency and significantly reduced reliance on manual record-keeping.
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According to him, technology has transformed excise operations by enabling more efficient monitoring of production activities and improving revenue assurance.
The delegation was led by the Chief Instructor, Senior Course, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Happiness Onwuka, who stressed the importance of field exposure in preparing future Customs leaders to effectively manage an increasingly complex and technology-driven trade environment.
As part of the programme, Assistant Comptroller Oseser Woy delivered a technical lecture on the application of technology to revenue assurance, compliance monitoring and the detection and tracking of illicit production.
The delegation also visited Nigeria Breweries Plc’s Ama Brewery in Enugu, where participants observed automated production monitoring systems and digital tax payment processes.
The study tour concluded with an interactive engagement involving key industry stakeholders, including representatives of International Breweries Plc, Eastern Distilleries, Samana Foods, Aromsy Industries, and IG Chemicals and Allied Ltd.
The session focused on strengthening collaboration between the Customs Service and the private sector, improving compliance and safeguarding legitimate businesses from the impact of illicit production and trade.
By PRNigeria
