Customs CG signs anti-corruption pact

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has ordered the immediate implementation of a new corruption-risk mapping framework across all commands, zones and units of the Service.

Adeniyi gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja after signing the Standard Operating Procedure for Conducting Internal Corruption Risk Analysis and Mapping (ICRAM), the ICRAM Handbook and the Integrity Action Plan.

He also activated the ICRAM Steering Committee to coordinate the rollout and strengthen the identification and mitigation of corruption risks across Customs operations.

Adeniyi said the documents were developed through collaboration between an internal NCS team, the World Customs Organisation and partner Customs administrations, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

He said the framework would provide officers at ports, borders and airports with practical tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations and implement measures to address them.

“We have laid a practical step, very easy to follow, for all our operatives at the ports, the borders, and the airports, to be able to conduct corruption risk mapping in their places,” he said.

The ICRAM methodology was piloted in seven commands and units, covering 66 processes across regulatory, core Customs and support functions.

The pilot covered Apapa Area Command, Murtala Muhammed Cargo and Murtala Muhammed International Airport Commands, Seme Area Command, Customs Police Unit Zone A, PAAR Ruling Centre and the Procurement Unit.

It produced an Integrity Action Plan containing 101 action items and 295 sub-action items.

The priority measures include increased automation, stronger supervision and accountability, improved audit trails and traceability, clear segregation of duties, regular staff rotation, targeted training and tighter controls in officer-stakeholder interactions.

The Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of the Strategic Research and Policy Department, Nafi’u Isyaku, led senior officers in presenting the documents and secured approval for their full rollout across the Service.