The Nigerian Customs Service has launched the automation of its excise registry, marking a significant step towards modernizing the country’s trade processes. According to a statement by the service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, the Automated Excise Register System (ERS) has gone live at three major excise facilities across Nigeria.
The pilot phase of the ERS, which took place between July and August 2025, was conducted at 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. These factories were chosen due to their strategic importance to Nigeria’s excise sector and their capacity to provide a strong foundation for the nationwide rollout.
During the pilot phase, the ERS achieved notable successes, including a 75% efficiency score during user acceptance testing (UAT) at BATN, successful integration of production and reporting systems, and strengthened collaboration between the Nigerian Customs Service and factory management teams. With the commencement of live operations, all excise-related transactions at the three factories will now be managed exclusively through the ERS, including recording production figures, computing excise duties, and generating statutory reports.
The adoption of the ERS is expected to reduce reliance on manual documentation, eliminate inconsistencies in data reporting, and enhance transparency across the excise value chain. The system’s nationwide rollout will be informed by the insights and lessons drawn from the pilot phase, and it will be extended to cover other excise-regulated industries, including beverages, spirits, and additional segments of the manufacturing sector.
The Nigerian Customs Service has called on industry operators and stakeholders to embrace this reform and provide constructive feedback as the system is expanded nationwide. The service seeks stakeholders’ support in building a more robust and transparent excise regime that fosters compliance, enhances operational efficiency, and guarantees sustainable revenue growth for the Federal Government. The launch of the ERS is a central pillar of the Nigeria Customs Service’s broader Trade Modernisation Project, aimed at creating a more accountable and technology-driven excise administration framework.
