Customs enlists WCO, UK Agency to deepen anti-corruption war with risks analysis/mapping across key processes
Corruption has been on the decline since the inception of the present administration of the Nigeria Customs Service. To further improve on its accomplishments, the Service has concluded a workshop with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the United Kingdom’s International Development agency aimed at strengthening its anti-corruption framework through corruption risk analysis, risk mapping and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Bringing the workshop to a close at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the WCO-backed exercise as a critical step towards strengthening institutional integrity and corruption risk management.
Adeniyi stressed that the exercise was not designed to find fault with the Service, but to enable it identify areas of vulnerability and develop sustainable measures to address them.
The Customs CG said the assessment covered key Customs processes, including regulatory and administrative procedures, cargo clearance, inspection and examination, enforcement and compliance, procurement and human resource management.
“The purpose of what we have therefore been doing with our partners was to identify such areas of vulnerabilities, assess the associated risk and develop practical measures to mitigate them,” he said.
The CGC said the Service would continue to support measures aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and internal controls, while simplifying processes and expanding the use of technology to reduce unnecessary discretion in Customs operations.
According to him, a transparent, predictable and accountable Customs administration would not only strengthen institutional integrity but also facilitate legitimate trade, improve compliance and enhance public confidence.
The WCO Lead Technical Expert for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, Arman Zhalitov, commended Adeniyi for his support for the initiative and urged the working group to ensure the endorsement and implementation of the workshop’s outcomes.
Zhalitov called for the development of a comprehensive action plan setting out practical steps to advance trade facilitation while reinforcing the Service’s anti-corruption agenda.
On his part, the WCO Programme Manager for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, David Tanenbaum, highlighted progress recorded under the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) scheme, post-clearance audit and the time-release study.
Tanenbaum stressed that integrity could not be treated as an isolated issue, noting that it was closely connected to wider Customs reforms and trade facilitation.
“Our work continues to bring us closer to a systematic, preventive approach to identifying and managing corruption risks within Customs operations,” he said.
He added that the results of the partnership demonstrated tangible institutional and operational gains, particularly in strengthening systems designed to prevent corruption risks before they materialise.
The workshop forms part of ongoing efforts by the NCS and its international partners to strengthen Customs procedures, improve trade facilitation and build more transparent and accountable border management systems.
