The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the World Bank Group under the Accelerated Revenue Mobilisation Reform (ARMOR) Programme, has concluded a two-week Technical Assistance Mission aimed at strengthening Post Clearance Audit (PCA) operations across the Service.
The programme, held from June 1 to 12, 2026, focused on enhancing compliance management, revenue assurance, and trade facilitation through modern audit practices.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs at the closing ceremony, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Tijjani Abe, emphasized the importance of Post Clearance Audit as a modern control mechanism for promoting voluntary compliance, facilitating legitimate trade, and protecting government revenue.
He stated that effective customs administration requires intelligence-driven, risk-based, and internationally compliant audit systems, adding that the real success of the programme would be measured by improvements in performance, compliance outcomes, and service delivery.
Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of PCA, Babatunde Olomu, described the mission as a significant step toward institutional and operational reforms within the Service. According to him, the technical sessions and practical engagements conducted during the programme have laid a solid foundation for modernising PCA operations.
Participants presented several key deliverables developed during the mission, including draft Standard Operating Procedures, a Case File Management System, trader segmentation frameworks, audit checklists, registry management tools, and quality assurance mechanisms.
The mission also produced an annual audit plan covering 30 audit cases across Customs Headquarters and three operational zones, with implementation expected within 45 days.
Speaking on behalf of the World Bank Group, Task Team Lead Moses Kajubi commended the outcomes of the mission and stressed the need for sustained institutional support and continuous capacity building to ensure effective implementation.
He reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting the Nigeria Customs Service in strengthening its audit capabilities and improving compliance management systems.
The initiative is expected to enhance revenue collection, improve trade facilitation, and align the Nigeria Customs Service’s audit processes with international best practices.
