Customs Introduces Vehicle Verification System To Curb Smuggling

…Sets ₦15,000 Fee For Vehicle Verification

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new digital verification system aimed at curbing vehicle smuggling, improving transparency, and ensuring proper documentation of imported vehicles across the country.

The initiative, known as the Customs Verification Management System (CVMS), was unveiled on Monday at the NCS headquarters in Abuja by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

The platform operates through a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)-based verification process that allows individuals, importers, and car dealers to confirm the authenticity and importation status of vehicles in real-time.

Adeniyi explained that the platform, which attracts a processing fee of ₦15,000, provides users access to a secure database where a vehicle’s origin, clearance record, and duty payment status can be verified.

According to him, the initiative marks a significant step toward eradicating the circulation of smuggled or illegally upgraded vehicles often presented as legitimately imported ones.

He stated that the verification process takes immediate effect and forms part of the Service’s broader digital reform efforts to enhance transparency and traceability in automobile importation.

“The launch of this system is another score on the board for our bold transformation agenda. For years, verification of imported vehicles relied on fragmented and outdated methods that left room for misinformation, fraud, and revenue leakages,” he said.

Adeniyi disclosed that the CVMS was developed in collaboration with the Trade Modernization Project (TMP) and local technical experts to simplify and secure the vehicle verification process.

He described the platform as a key step toward closing existing loopholes exploited by individuals to evade import duties or falsify documents.

“This new solution empowers the public and strengthens the integrity of our Service by promoting transparency, accountability, and trust, the fee for this is N15,000,” he added.

On the ₦15,000 fee, Adeniyi said the Service had been approached to reduce it to ₦14,500 but decided to retain the original amount.

“Anyone who invests millions of naira in a vehicle would not hesitate to pay ₦15,000 just to verify and be sure that their money is not wasted,” he said, while noting that payments can be made using any “card issued by financial institutions in Nigeria or abroad”.

He emphasized that the digital platform creates a centralized record system where vehicle information can be traced, verified, and confirmed within minutes.

The system, he added, will improve operational efficiency across NCS enforcement units and strengthen inter-agency coordination.

Adeniyi further noted that the CVMS would help Nigerians make informed decisions when purchasing vehicles and reduce the circulation of improperly cleared automobiles in the market.

“In essence, this system brings openness to an area that was previously shrouded in uncertainty and manipulation,.

“Across all our operations, we are deploying innovative, technology-driven solutions to simplify processes, enhance transparency, and boost revenue,” he said.

In response, the National President of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), Ajibola Adedoyin, said the association would first conduct its own assessment of the new initiative before full adoption.

However, he expressed optimism that members of the association would support the platform once its benefits are fully established.

“I can assure you that the first people to adopt this initiative, 90 per cent of them would be my members,” he said.

Customs Introduces Vehicle Verification System To Curb Smuggling is first published on The Whistler Newspaper