The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced full operations of its Automated Excise Register System (ERS), following the successful completion of its pilot phase aimed at modernizing excise administration and improving efficiency across the sector.
The pilot phase, which was implemented from July and August this year, was tested in three major excise facilities British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) Plc in Oyo State, International Tobacco Company (ITC) Limited in Kwara State, and Leaf Tobacco & Commodities Nigeria Ltd in Kaduna State, based on the entities’ strategic relevance and capacity to support the nationwide rollout.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada, stated that the pilot phase achieved remarkable milestones, including a 75 percent efficiency score during User Acceptance Testing (UAT), successful integration of production and reporting systems, and improved collaboration between Customs and factory management teams.
He clarified: “With the commencement of live operations, all excise-related transactions at the pilot factories will now be handled exclusively through the ERS. This transition is expected to reduce manual documentation, eliminate data inconsistencies, and enhance transparency across the excise value chain.”
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He explained that lessons learnt during the pilot phase of the ERS test-running would serve as a model for nationwide implementation.
The ERS is a key component of the revenue agency’s broader Trade Modernisation Project and will be extended to cover other excise-regulated industries such as beverages, spirits, and additional manufacturing segments.
The management of the NCS has urged industry stakeholders to embrace the reform and provide feedback to strengthen the system further, assured that the automation would promote compliance, boost operational efficiency, and ensure sustainable revenue growth for the government.
