On March 3, the NCS announced the implementation of the B’Odogwu unified management system, a homegrown innovation designed to streamline cargo clearance processes.
In a statement on Friday, Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS national public relations officer, said the service had become aware of widespread misconceptions regarding payment for Form ‘M’.
Maiwada dismissed the reports as false, misleading, and entirely baseless.
Form ‘M’ is a mandatory document that completed by all importers for the importation of goods into Nigeria. It provides information about the imported goods, as well as the importer and the consignee.
“For clarity, the ongoing migration process is a technical and administrative task designed and implemented by NCS to ensure seamless continuity of trade documentation following the phased deployment of the B’Odogwu system across Customs Area Commands,” Maiwada said.
“It is worth noting that at no point has the NCS introduced, approved, or authorised any fee for migrating Form ‘M’ from NICIS II to B’Odogwu.”
Maiwada said importers and agents whose bills of lading (BoL) or manifests have been sent to the B’Odogwu system, but whose Form ‘M’ was initially registered on NICIS II, must submit a digital copy of the existing Form ‘M’ to the technical supervisor at their respective command.
According to the NCS spokesperson, the submission will enable the service to carry out the necessary migration at no cost to the trader.
“Upon successful migration, traders are expected to log into their dashboard on B’Odogwu and locate the already migrated “registered” Form ‘M’, click on it to view the full details,” he said.
“Use the “Create Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) button that will appear to proceed with PAAR processing.”
Maiwada urged all stakeholders to disregard any person or group demanding payment under the guise of facilitating Form ‘M’ migration.
He said such practices are illegal and also undermine the service’s commitment to transparency and trade facilitation.
“Affected persons are advised to report such misconduct through official NCS channels,” he added.
He said the service remains committed to delivering a user-friendly, transparent, and efficient trade environment powered by technology and integrity under the leadership of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of Customs, and his management team.
The NCS official appreciated the support of the trading public and assured all stakeholders that the service would continue to provide support throughout the transition process.
