Customs To Start Using Electronic Scanners At Ports

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to deploy a new container scanning machine at the terminal.

In the past eight years, officials of the Nigeria Customs Service have relied on manual examination of containers at the port, as the two scanners installed at the terminal and other port facilities across the country have broken down.

Coordinator of Nigeria Customs Service, Zone A, Lagos, Modupe Aremu, who recently confirmed the deployment of new scanners to the port, noted  that the scanner for Onne Port arrived last week and has been deployed to the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), while that of Apapa Port, is yet to arrive.

Modupe lauded the Customs Service, saying that the deployment will reduce corruption, save importers a lot of cost, and facilitate cargo clearance at the port.

In her words, “I am very passionate about scanning and I know that in another two weeks, we are expecting three scanners, one for Apapa, Tin Can and Onne ports. With the coming onboard of e-customs, we are expecting 70 scanners that will be distributed everywhere and very soon, we will have our scanners functioning.”

Customs Comptroller, Auwal Mohammed, said the acquisition of the new scanning machines will facilitate trade and enhance security through easier detection of prohibited imports.

In his words, “before the arrival of the scanner, examinations of cargoes were usually done manually and physically. This takes time. Virtually everything has to be carried or moved out of the container, then back into the container before examination is concluded. So it is cumbersome. It is time-consuming, and not much containers are properly examined on a daily basis, but with the coming of the scanners, which is a non-intrusive examination apparatus, examination will now be conducted with the use of x-ray.”