WCO supports the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in building a robust Post-Clearance Audit approach

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme financially supported by the United Kingdom, continues its journey to enhanced trade facilitation and economic prosperity for Nigeria. Building on a Post Clearance Audit (PCA) diagnostics conducted early in 2024, virtual capacity-building sessions as well as a recent study visit to South Africa, NCS received training from WCO experts from South Africa and Kenya to boost its advanced audit techniques and to finalize the NCS PCA manual. The in-country component of the training took place from 7 to 11 October 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria, in partnership with the World Bank Group.

The training underscored the critical interplay between PCA and risk management and zoomed in on how PCA can provide valuable business intelligence for trader segmentation and Authorized Economic Operators. The workshop was opened by Assistant Controller General AAS Oloyede. He thanked the United Kingdom, the WCO, and the World Bank Group for their continued support and highlighted NCS's vision to implement trader-focused audits with the PCA manual as a crucial building block. During the closing session, participants expressed their profound appreciation for the practical insights and guidance shared which they believe will be a critical stepping stone towards conducting the desired trader-focused audit.

The PCA capacity-building support is part of a comprehensive collaboration with the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme to support NCS in implementing its upcoming Authorized Economic Operator Programme, a pilot of which is currently ongoing.

The WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme looks forward to its continued partnership with NCS for sustainable trade facilitation reforms and inclusive economic prosperity.

For more information on the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, please see here.

For more information on WCO capacity building, please contact [email protected].