The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and UK International Development, has intensified efforts to strengthen its anti-corruption framework through a workshop on corruption risk analysis, risk mapping and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop held on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, described the WCO mission as a critical step toward institutional growth, integrity and effective corruption risk management.
Adeniyi clarified that the exercise was not designed to identify faults or apportion blame, but to enable the Service conduct a self-assessment, identify institutional weaknesses and develop sustainable solutions.
According to him, the assessment examined key Customs processes, including regulatory and administrative procedures, 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,” the CGC stated.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to supporting measures that promote transparency, accountability, stronger internal controls, process simplification and the deployment of technology to reduce unnecessary discretion in Customs operations.
“A customs administration that is transparent, that is predictable and accountable, is better positioned to facilitate legitimate trade, improve compliance, and enhance public confidence,” he said.
The WCO Lead Technical Expert for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, Arman Zhalitov, commended the CGC for his support and urged members of the working group to champion the endorsement and implementation of the workshop’s outcomes.
He noted that the outcomes include a comprehensive action plan aimed at advancing trade facilitation and strengthening the NCS anti-corruption agenda.
Also speaking, the WCO Programme Manager for the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, David Tanenbaum, highlighted progress recorded in the areas of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), post-clearance audit and the time-release study.
Tanenbaum stressed that integrity must remain central to Customs reform, noting that “integrity does not exist in a vacuum.”
“Our work continues to bring us closer to a systematic, preventive approach to identifying and managing corruption risks within customs operations,” he said.
The workshop is expected to further support the NCS in developing practical measures and institutional mechanisms for identifying, assessing and mitigating corruption risks across its operations.
