Emeka Okoroanyanwu
African Finance Corporation is to invest $450 million in the automation programme of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
The fund is to aid the quick turnaround of the automation processes of the organization, which is scheduled to last 12 months.
The platform would improve revenue generation by the NCS and enhance security at the nation’s borders.
The e-Custom Strategic Plan began in 2016 with over 90 firms, responding to a bid request to handle the project.
Fifteen companies were pre-qualified and invited to make presentations on ways to enable Nigeria realise its vision of attaining complete automation and enthroning best practices in Customs operations.
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The firm of Bionica Technologies W.A Limited won the bid. Its managing Director, Umar Kuta, disclosed last week that the firm has five technical partners, namely Paramout Group, Huawei Technology, Smiths Detection, Larsen & Toubro Group and Nuctech of China adding that the partners are mobilising about $450 million in investment to attain the complete turn-around of the Customs systems.
He also said that the Africa Finance Corporation has also indicated its interest in supporting the project.
According to him, the consortium is to partner NCS by direct capital investment in collaboration with Original Equipment Manufacturers to develop and implement specific modernization programs, with full automation of all the NCS business processes and procedures through the development and implementation of a robust and secured ICT platform.
He said this entails complete systems integration with the current ICT platform adding that the partnership will engender development and implementation of modern customs border stations, airports and marine posts, adding that the marine posts would be utilized to develop the marine customs outfit.
Kuta further said that Bionica’s direct capital investment through the proposed private public partnership, guarantees that NCS modernization programme will be professionally executed adding that the implementation of Bionica’s proposed projects, will ensure that all collectable revenues will be optimised and accounted for in-line with the Treasury Single Account policy of the Federal Government.
