The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has clarified that importers and their agents are not required to pay any fee to migrate Form ‘M’ from the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II) to the B’Odogwu Trade Management System.
The NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Maiwada said the Service had received widespread misconceptions regarding such payments, which he described as false, misleading, and entirely unfounded.
“For clarity, the ongoing migration process is a technical and administrative exercise designed and implemented by the NCS to ensure the seamless continuity of trade documentation following the phased deployment of the B’Odogwu system across Customs Area Commands.
“It is important to note that at no point has the NCS introduced, approved, or authorised any fee for migrating Form ‘M’ from NICIS II to B’Odogwu,” he said.
He explained that only importers and agents whose Bills of Lading (BoL) or manifests had already been transmitted to B’Odogwu, but whose Form ‘M’ was originally registered on NICIS II, are required to make a resubmission.
According to him, such persons are required to submit a soft copy of their existing Form ‘M’ to the Technical Supervisor (TS) in their respective Commands of operation.
Maiwada noted that this submission would enable the Service to carry out the necessary migration at no cost to the trader.
“Upon successful migration, traders are expected to log into their dashboard on B’Odogwu, locate the already migrated ‘registered’ Form ‘M’, click on it to view the full details, and then use the ‘Create Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR)’ button that will appear to proceed with PAAR processing,” he added.
He urged all stakeholders to disregard any individual or group demanding payment under the guise of facilitating Form ‘M’ migration, noting that such actions run counter to the Service’s core principles.
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According to him, such practices are not only illegal but also undermine the NCS’s commitment to transparency and trade facilitation.
He further encouraged anyone affected to report such misconduct through official NCS channels.
“Under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team, the Service remains committed to delivering a user-friendly, transparent, and efficient trade environment powered by technology and integrity.
“We appreciate the cooperation of the trading public and assure all stakeholders of our continuous support throughout this transition,” he said.
