Customs says system glitch affected PAAR certificate transmission

Omeiza Bilal

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that the disruption occasioned by a technical glitch affected the smooth transmission of the Product Certificates for Form M and SONCAP required for PAAR processing on the B’Odogwu platform.

In a statement signed by National Public Relations Officer of NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada explained that the system-related issues temporarily impacted traders’ ability to accurately capture their Form M, PAAR, and Single Goods Declaration (SGD).

“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been drawn to concerns raised by importers and licensed customs agents regarding recent delays experienced in the transmission of Product Certificates for Form M and SONCAP required for PAAR processing on the B’Odogwu platform.

“The NCS acknowledges that the disruption followed technical integration challenges that emerged during the process of onboarding the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on the B’Odogwu platform on July 23, 2025.

“Specific challenges encountered included limited space for trader names, incorrect data formatting, missing 10-digit product codes, ambiguous error prompts, and difficulties linking the Tax Identification Number (TIN) to traders’ profiles. While NCS was able to promptly resolve the issues within its system, further coordination was required to complete the resolution on SON’s side.

“The Nigeria Customs Service is pleased to confirm that as of Wednesday, August 6, 2025, both agencies have successfully resolved the transmission issues. Product Certificates and SONCAP documents are now being transmitted seamlessly, and the backlog of affected transactions is being cleared.

“In a bid to continuously support stakeholders, the NCS has rolled out nationwide implementation of the B’Odogwu platform across Zones A, B, C, and D, with trained officers on the ground to provide hands-on technical assistance to traders and licensed agents.

“The NCS remains committed to transparency, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement. Regular training sessions for stakeholders are ongoing across various commands. These sessions not only build user capacity but also serve as a channel for surfacing and resolving operational challenges on the platform,” the Service further explained.