The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has confirmed that technical issues which recently disrupted the transmission of Product Certificates and SONCAP documents for PAAR processing have now been resolved in collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
The clarification follows complaints from importers and licensed customs agents who experienced delays in the processing of Form M and PAAR documents via the new B’Odogwu platform.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Assistant Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS explained that the disruption was caused by technical integration challenges that arose during SON’s onboarding to the B’Odogwu platform on July 23, 2025.
According to the statement, importers faced issues such as incorrect data formatting, limited space for trader information, missing product codes, and TIN profile mismatches, which hindered the successful capturing of Form M, PAAR, and Single Goods Declaration (SGD).
“While NCS resolved its internal system issues promptly, further coordination was required from SON to complete the resolution process,” the statement said.
Dr. Maiwada confirmed that as of Wednesday, August 6, the glitches had been fully rectified, and the previously stalled transmission of Product Certificates and SONCAP documents had resumed without hindrance.
“The backlog of affected transactions is currently being cleared,” he noted, assuring stakeholders that the agencies are working hand in hand to avoid future occurrences.
The statement also noted that the NCS has rolled out full implementation of the B’Odogwu platform across all four operational zones—A, B, C, and D. Officers have been deployed to provide technical support and on-the-spot assistance to traders and agents.
Furthermore, the Customs Service said it remains committed to improving transparency and stakeholder engagement through ongoing training and capacity-building sessions at its various commands.
These trainings, according to Maiwada, aim to not only enhance users’ understanding of the platform but also provide a direct feedback loop for identifying and fixing emerging operational challenges.
