Customs Attains 70% Synchronisation of Scanners At Nigerian Ports

…To Deploy Scanning Machines by February 2022

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Nigeria Customs Service has explained the perceived delays in deployment of its recently aquired scanning machines at Nigerian ports, even as it explained that it is currently carrying out synchronisation of the scanners together with its customs system.

Giving this indication in Apapa Lagos on Thursday, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Premier Command of customs, Compt Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim said 70percent of the the synchronisation process has been achieved.

He assured that before the end of February 2022, the scanners would be deployed for use at all the ports.

According to Compt Malanta, the customs service is currently training its officers on how to operate the scanning machines.

The customs boss noted that scanning is not only important for revenue collection at the port, but that it is also important for security of the nation.

Explaining the process, he said “The scanner is not like a vehicle that you can just go and buy and start using, even on vehicles, when you buy it, you must pay customs duty and then you go for its registration at FIRS office before you can start driving it”

“We thank God that the scanners have been deployed, and due to the model of the high definition scanners, we need to train officers on how to use them”

“After training officers on how to use them, we have to synchronise the scanners system with our own customs system, after this, we do what is called UET, we test-run it before we deploy it to the port and start operations”

“It is after the image have been synchronises that selectivity would now be triggered to confirm if the container is suspect or not. The synchronisation would also reveal any kind of concealment that is inside the container”

“As of now, we have done about 70percent of these procedures, we are now on the final procedures.
Rail construction is almost completed inside the port, the evacuation of containers at the scanning site would soon be taking place, maybe from this weekend.

“I assure you that before the end of next month, the scanners would be deployed and start working immediately” he concluded