Frank Onyeka: Planning Paperless Customs System for One of Nigeria’s Highest Revenue Generating Customs Command
By Ovie Edomi, PhD
Nigeria’s 14th indigenous Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr. Wale Adeniyi, who is also the Chairman of the World Customs Organisation, is one man who has seen it all with respect to how the Customs operate seaminglessly in highly developed countries. In Nigeria, Frank Onyeka, the Comptroller of Tin Can lsland Customs Command told Journalists at a recent parley in Lagos that he is prepared to explore the possibility of making Customs operation at Tin Can Island absolutly paperless with very little human interface beginning from next quarter of this year.
If Comptroller Frank Onyeka can effectively carry out the promised reform at Tin Can island,one of the nation’s highest revenue generating Customs Commands in line with the vision of the Comptroller General of Customs as well as President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda for the nation, especially in the area of clearance of goods at the nation’s ports, it will enhance trade facilitation and reduce the time needed to clear goods.
The issue of time spent on clearance of goods and the problems associated with it, have been an issue that has remained in the front burner of maritime stakeholders’ discourse but for the first time, a Customs Area Controller, wants to ensure that human interface in his Command is reduce to the bearest minimum. Indeed, Frank Onyeka’s dream of a paperless operation in the Tin Can island Customs Command not only drew the applause of journalists and other stakeholders, it was seen as a highly couragous and well thought out policy.
Truly, for a country that is the giant of Africa and whose Customs No. 1 citizen is the chairman of the world Customs Organisation, the plan by Comptroller Frank Onyeka to make Tin Can island Customs Command paperless or digitalised, is an indication that the example of seamingless customs operation found in countries with advanced, automated and paperless customs systems geared towards minimising face-to-face interaction between customs officers and clearing agents in order to reduce corruption and improve efficiency is something that can be made real in Nigeria. This can only be anticipated and achieved under the President Bola Tinubu’s era where professionalism has found its rightful place in the Nigeria Customs Service.
Globally, electronic systems like Single Window platforms allow for seamless, digital, and remote clearance and countries like
South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Ghana have gone higher in the implementation of the policy. Today South Korea is known for its sophisticated electronic customs clearance system (UNI-PASS), which processes the vast majority of declarations digitally, minimising human interaction. Also Singapore Customs utilises the TradeNet system, which acts as a single-window to process trade documents, allowing traders and agents to submit declarations electronically without physical visits. A system that has become a model to many other countries. In nearby neighboring Ghana, at the Tema Port, what a first time visitor finds is a paperless, automated clearing system (GCMS) via Ghana Community Network Services Limited thus reducing physical contact with traders and Customs agents
All over the world, countries that have embraced digitalisation, risk management, and electronic payment systems continue to create a “paperless” environment in order to reduce the opportunities for discretionary, face-to-face, or corrupt activities.
This is what Comptroller Frank Onyeka wants to introduce to Tin Can island Customs Command. Before now, through the Customs newly deployed digital system also known as B’Odogwu, he set a new revenue record last year by collecting ₦16.4 billion in a single day, representing the highest daily revenue collection in the history of Tin Can Customs Command. Since then, Frank Onyeka has continued to live up to his high record of revenue collection in Tin Can Island Customs Command. Interestingly, he remains one of the best trade enablier in the Customs despite his hard stance on revenue generation.
For a man who knows how to balance revenue generation with trade facilitation, he will make history if the paperless environment is successfully carried out. And his boss, Wale Adeniyi would have made another milestone as well as another turning point in the history of Nigeria under the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
This piece is not to make a hero out of Frank Onyeka or his boss Dr Wale Adeniyi, but in my over 30 years of Journalism practice and as a mass communication scholar, I have found that there is need to encourage those who altruistically serve Nigeria for better performance, economic growth and so on. And in this regard, Wale Adeniyi has demonstrated so much patriotism, courage and quality leadership. His appointee, Frank Onyeka has equally demonstrated that the Wale Adeniyi led management did not make a mistake in appointing him. He has remained an innovative, focused and highly couragous Officer with eyes for economic growth, trade facilitation, revenue generation and security of the country.
Indeed, Nigeria needs more Customs Comptrollers like Frank Onyeka to lead the customs paperless policy and if more Comptrollers join from Onne to Ikeja, and Apapa to Warri, the narrative will change. Certainly, if this is achieved in the not too distant future, President Bola Tinubu will look back and beat his chest that his renewed hope agenda made meaningful impacts on Nigerians.
Dr Edomi is the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, South South International Magazine and former President, League of Maritime Editors as well as the former Publicity Secretary, Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.