The Nigeria Customs Service has completed factory tests on newly acquired cargo scanners and an electronic tracking system in China before shipping them to Nigeria.

The equipment is intended to reduce reliance on physical cargo examinations and enable real-time monitoring of consignments from ports to their destinations, according to a Friday statement on the exercise.

Officials from Customs and Trade Modernisation Project Limited conducted the tests from October 9 to 20 at Nuctech Company Limited, the Chinese manufacturer.

The delegation was led by Oluyomi Adebakin, deputy comptroller-general in charge of Customs’ Information Communication and Technology/Modernisation Department.

Ms Adebakin said the ‘Factory Acceptance Test’ was a quality-assurance exercise to establish whether the equipment met contractual specifications and operational standards before shipment.

“The Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of CGC Adeniyi, is committed to ensuring that we deploy only cutting-edge, fit-for-purpose technology that will fast-track cargo examination, reduce dwell time, and enhance our ability to detect concealments and prohibited items, improve revenue generation, as well as facilitate legitimate trade,” she said.

The non-intrusive inspection equipment is designed to examine cargo without requiring every consignment to be opened and unpacked.

The Electronic Cargo Tracking System is intended to complement the scanners by monitoring cargo movements.

Umar Madugu, a deputy comptroller serving as acting comptroller of non-intrusive inspection, said deployment would reduce the need for full physical examinations, limit human contact during clearance and help curb cargo diversion.

Speaking on behalf of Trade Modernisation Project Limited, the company’s general manager, Bamidele Chinedu, described the FAT as a milestone in implementing the TMP, stressing that integrating NII scanners and the Electronic Cargo Tracking System is central to achieving a transparent, technology-driven Customs system.

Nuctech’s project manager, Niu Chao, also said the manufacturer would provide technical support, training, and after-sales services.

Technical personnel from customs and TMPL also received training in operating and maintaining the scanners and tracking system during the exercise.