As part of moves to strengthen stakeholders migration from fast track to the more beneficial Authorised Economic Operator(AEO) platform, the Nigeria Customs Service has announced December 31 , 2025 as deadline for the decommissioning of it’s fast track programme.
Speaking at a stakeholders enlightenment meeting in Lagos, the Assistant Comptroller General in charge of Post Clearance Audit, Zanna Chiroma who disclosed this, said the NCS is prioritising AEO as part of efforts to promote trade and strengthen regulation
Chiroma said the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has moved the PCA unit from Tarrif and Trade department to his office headed by an ACG with two senior senior officers
The CGC who was represented at the event by ACG Orbih said the service is committed to entrenching secure and efficient trade while describing AEO as one with better legal backing that will be a paradigm shift in the way NCS deals with stakeholders in line with (World Customs Organisation) WCO safe framework .
Adeniyi said AEO average clearance time is 23 hours which is shorter , cost saving and trade friendly.
He added that through the PCA officers will now easily maintain revenue assurance while allowing compliant traders and stakeholders.
The CGC said AEO is a partnership not a favour as businesses must meet certain criteria including duty payment, record of integrity and overall compliance to benefit from the scheme.
Adeniyi urged stakeholders to use the about 5 months period to fully migrate from fast track to PCA.
Delivering a short presentation on Post Clearance Audit as Solution for Effective Management of Compliant Traders, Godwin Attah , Chief Superintendent of Customs took participants on an overview of the PCA.
Attah noted that since 2005 there has been an increase in trade volume which makes it imperative to apply risk based strategies to prevent delays emanating from physical examinations
He said PCA is an audit process as a structured examination covering financial and non financial records as means to measure compliance.
CSC Attah added that the PCA ensures facilitation of international trade and eradicating excessive cargo examinations and avoiding loses in time and revenue. He listed Revised Kyoto Convention and other WCO instruments.
The officer supporting the PCA programme, which includes rights by customs to inspect auditees premises, obligations to protect confidentiality and more.
Presently, Nigeria is said to have over 600 companies on fast track
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