Customs CG Signs Integrity Documents, Orders Immediate Corruption Risk Mapping Across Service
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has signed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Conducting Internal Corruption Risk Analysis and Mapping (ICRAM), the ICRAM Handbook and the Integrity Action Plan, directing their immediate implementation across all zones, commands and units of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Adeniyi gave the directive during a ceremony at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, where he also formally activated the ICRAM Steering Committee.
The initiative establishes a systematic framework for identifying, assessing and mapping corruption risks across the Service’s operational and administrative processes.
The Customs boss said the documents were developed through a collaborative process involving an internal NCS team, the World Customs Organisation (WCO), His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other partner Customs administrations.
“These two documents are products of a painstaking process which we have undertaken with efforts from an internal team working together with our partners from the WCO and a number of other Customs administrations that have walked this path with us to ensure that we have a Service where integrity leads,” Adeniyi said.
He explained that the documents were designed as practical tools to help Customs officers at ports, borders and airports identify corruption risks within their areas of operation and implement targeted measures to address them.
“We want to believe that 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, giving them the opportunity and capacity to implement the action plan to instil integrity in our system,” he added.
Earlier, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of the Strategic Research and Policy Department, ACG Nafi’u Isyaku, led senior officers in presenting the documents and sought approval for their full rollout across the Service.
The ICRAM methodology was initially piloted across seven key Commands and Units, covering 66 processes within regulatory, core Customs and support functions.
The pilot locations included Apapa Area Command under the sea modality; Murtala Muhammed Cargo (MMAC) and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Commands under the air modality; Seme Area Command under the land modality; and the Customs Police Unit Zone A, PAAR Ruling Centre and Procurement Unit as specialised units.
The pilot exercise produced a comprehensive Integrity Action Plan containing 101 action items and 295 sub-action items.
Key areas identified for action include enhanced automation, stronger supervision and accountability, robust audit trails and traceability, clear segregation of duties, regular staff rotation, targeted training and improved controls in officer-stakeholder interactions.
The implementation is expected to strengthen integrity, accountability and transparency across the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Customs CG Signs Integrity Documents, Orders Immediate Corruption Risk Mapping Across Service