Form M migration still free

The Nigeria Customs Service has refuted claims that traders must pay to migrate their import documents from its old platform to the new B’Odogwu Trade Management System, insisting the process is free of charge.

In a statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the Service described the circulating reports as “false, misleading, and entirely unfounded,” and urged stakeholders to disregard anyone requesting payment under the guise of facilitating the migration.

The clarification follows what the Customs Service described as “widespread misconceptions” suggesting that importers or their agents are being charged to move their Form M documents from the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) II platform to the recently deployed B’Odogwu system.

“For clarity, the ongoing migration process is a technical and administrative task designed and implemented by NCS to ensure seamless continuity of trade documentation following the phased deployment of the B’Odogwu system across Customs Area Commands. It is worth noting that at no point has the NCS introduced, approved, or authorised any fee for migrating Form M from NICIS II to B’Odogwu,” the statement read.

Form M is a mandatory pre-import declaration document used to control imports into Nigeria. It is typically opened through authorised dealer banks and submitted to Customs via an automated platform. The document is required before any shipment into Nigeria and must be approved before the issuance of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), which is used to clear goods at the ports.

Customs explained that with the phased rollout of B’Odogwu across its commands, some traders may now find their Bills of Lading or cargo manifests transmitted to the new platform, while their Form M remains on the old NICIS II system.

To address this, importers in that category are required to submit a soft copy of their already registered Form M to the Technical Supervisor in their operational Customs command.

The supervisor will then initiate the migration internally, at no cost to the importer.

Upon successful migration, traders can access the updated Form M on the B’Odogwu dashboard, where they will be able to view the document details and proceed with their PAAR request by clicking the “Create PAAR” button.

The NCS warned that demanding or offering payment for this migration is illegal and undermines the transparency it aims to foster.

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“The Service urges all stakeholders to disregard any person or group demanding payment under the guise of facilitating Form M migration,” the statement said.

“Such practices are not only illegal but also undermine the Service’s commitment to transparency and trade facilitation.”

The migration process is part of a bigger digital reform under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi.

The B’Odogwu system, introduced in early 2024, is being rolled out in stages and is designed to unify, streamline, and automate trade documentation procedures for improved efficiency. Once fully implemented, B’Odogwu is expected to replace NICIS II and reduce manual interventions, delays, and rent-seeking behaviour at Customs formations.

“We appreciate the cooperation of the trading public and assure all stakeholders of our continuous support throughout this transition,” the statement added.