The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has tested newly acquired cargo scanners and an electronic tracking system in China, as part of efforts to curb cargo diversion, detect smuggled goods and tighten the monitoring of shipments across the country.
The two-week Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) ran from October 9 to 20, 2026, at the facility of Chinese manufacturer Nuctech Company Limited. A team of technical experts from the NCS and Trade Modernisation Project Limited (TMPL) took part.
The equipment includes Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) scanners and an Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS). Both are meant to work together to improve cargo examination and allow real-time tracking of shipments from the ports to their final destinations.
According to Customs, the technology will reduce reliance on physical inspections, limit human contact during examinations and make it harder for goods to be diverted before they reach their declared destinations.
The delegation was led by Deputy Comptroller-General Oluyomi Adebakin, who oversees the Information Communication Technology/Modernisation Department. She explained that the FAT was a quality-assurance exercise to confirm that the equipment met contractual specifications and international operational standards before shipment to Nigeria.
Adebakin said the project aligns with the strategy of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, to use technology to improve trade facilitation, revenue collection and national security.
“The Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of CGC Adeniyi, is committed to ensuring that we deploy only cutting-edge, fit-for-purpose technology that will fast-track cargo examination, reduce dwell time, and enhance our ability to detect concealments and prohibited items, improve revenue generation, as well as facilitate legitimate trade,” she said.
The Acting Comptroller of Non-Intrusive Inspection, Deputy Comptroller Umar Madugu, said the scanners and tracking system would make Customs operations more efficient by removing the need for 100 per cent physical examination of cargo. He added that they would also help curb cargo diversion and reduce direct human contact during inspections.
The General Manager of TMPL, Bamidele Chinedu, described the exercise as a milestone in the Customs modernisation project. He said combining the scanners with electronic cargo tracking was central to building a more transparent, technology-driven Customs system.
Niu Chao, Project Manager at Nuctech, said the company was committed to supplying the equipment and offering technical support, capacity building and after-sales services.
The exercise also included training for NCS and TMPL personnel on how to operate, handle and maintain the equipment before it is deployed in Nigeria. Customs said the training was meant to ensure effective implementation and long-term sustainability of the technology.
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