Uncertainty trails $3.2bn Customs modernisation project over litigation

By Steve Agbota

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) may have set aside the $3.2billion Customs Modernisation Project, otherwise known as e-Customs over lingering litigation issues as the Service has announced a partnership with the World Customs Service (WCO) to deploy Geospatial Intelligence at the nation’s borders.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, the acting Customs Comptroller General, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, said that due to the lingering court cases over the $3.2 billion e-Customs project, he has not been talking much about the project since he took over the reins of leadership of the Service.

“Currently, we are at a stage where the matter is in court and that’s why I have not been talking so much about the $3.2billion Customs Modernisation project. However, beyond the Modernisation project, there are a number of things that we can do on our own.

“We have been getting very firm assurance from the WCO and other partners to assist us. What we are developing through the Geospatial Intelligence is with the assistance of the WCO.

“We are also building the capacity of our officers locally and domestically, exposing them to those kind of trainings that will allow them learn best practices on how we can integrate elements of technology into our operations,” he said.

Recall that in 2020, the Federal Executive Council approved the concession of the  $3.2bn automation project of NCS. The project was aimed at generating $176 billion in revenue.

However, the commencement of the project was delayed over lingering litigation crisis between parties involved in the project.

The aggrieved parties who have gone to court over the $3.2 billion Customs Modernisation project includes the Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, African Finance Corporation and the NCS.

The two aggrieved companies, E-customs HC Project Limited and Bionica Technologies (West Africa) Limited jointly challenged the alleged unlawful and fraudulent concession of the E-Customs project to the defendants.