The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the successful conclusion of the pilot phase of its Automated Excise Register System (ERS), a key initiative under its modernization agenda aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in excise administration.
In a statement issued on its official X handle by Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, the Service confirmed that the ERS has now gone live at three pilot factories: 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. The facilities were selected for their strategic importance to Nigeria’s excise sector and their capacity to provide a strong foundation for nationwide adoption.
The pilot phase, conducted between July and August 2025, featured rigorous user acceptance testing, system validation, and hands-on training for both Customs officers and factory staff. According to Maiwada, the exercise achieved notable milestones, including a 75 percent efficiency score at BATN and seamless integration of production and reporting systems across the pilot sites.
With the formal rollout, all excise-related transactions at the three factories — including production recording, duty computation, and statutory reporting — will now be managed exclusively through the ERS. The platform is expected to reduce reliance on manual documentation, eliminate reporting inconsistencies, and improve compliance.
Maiwada noted that lessons from the pilot would serve as a blueprint for nationwide deployment, with future phases extending the ERS to other excise-regulated industries such as beverages, spirits, and additional manufacturing sectors.
“The ERS is a central pillar of the Nigeria Customs Service’s broader Trade Modernisation Project,” he said, calling on industry operators and stakeholders to embrace the reform, provide feedback, and support the creation of a more robust, transparent, and technology-driven excise regime that guarantees sustainable revenue growth for the Federal Government.
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