By Ifeyinwa Obi
LAGOS — The Nigeria Customs Service is to introduce a single window platform that will facilitate clearance procedures for imported and exported goods.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Abdullahi Dikko, told newsmen, yesterday, at the closing ceremony of the 17th Conference of Customs Directors-General of the West and Central Africa regions of the World Customs Organisations, WCO, in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
He said the single window procedure, which formed the major focus of the conference, would be implemented electronically, adding that the system, which would ensure that all documents were processed electronically through one platform, would save time and cost.
He said all Nigeria needed at the moment was time to study the single window procedure to avoid problems that might occur in the future.
He said: "You can see each and every country's presentation came with a problem, so Nigeria, we will like to study it very well to understand how the single window works in other countries.
"So we are taking our time. We are not yet late and soon we are going to have our own and am sure is going to work perfectly.''
The customs boss said that the service would do all within its powers to minimise the problems of clearance procedure.
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for supporting the the reforms in the customs.
Dikko said the Customs Staff College of the WCO in Gwagwalada, Abuja, would begin courses from March 20 for officers in the West and Central Africa regions.
He said that the courses would enhance the operations of the customs in the regions.
Vanguard Nigeria