A Critical Appraisal of the Nigerian Customs Service Role in Trade Facilitation

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the role of Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) in the wake of globalization and liberalization and how it has been able to facilitate trade since 1975. It traces the evolution of the Nigeria Customs Service from its inception till date and its role in trade facilitation. Furthermore, the impact of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on the Nigeria Customs Services is based on the Revised Kyoto Convention. We identified the impact of liberalization on the agency with respect to trade facilitation. In addition, we highlighted the related challenges faced by the agency in the age of globalization. In conclusion, the paper argued that the prevalence and emphasis on globalization and liberalization in order for countries to compete favourably, agents of trade facilitation, in the Nigerian case, Nigeria Customs Service must harmonies its processes in order not to constitute a barrier to international trade. The sad situation is that the agency still lags behind specifically with regard to the World Customs Organization (WCO) standard of trade facilitation. Hence, the paper recommends the need for the government to ensure proper funding of the agency, training of officers of the agency and the need for automation of its system to reduce the ever-increasing incidences of corruption so as to meet up world best practices in order not to constitute a barrier to trade facilitation. We adopted the method of content analysis and historical research design.