The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially rolled out its Automated Excise Register System (ERS) as part of ongoing reforms to modernize excise administration in the country.
The ERS, which went live this week, follows the successful completion of a pilot phase conducted between July and August 2025 at three major excise factories — British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) in Oyo State, International Tobacco Company (ITC) in Kwara State, and Leaf Tobacco & Commodities Nigeria Ltd in Kaduna State.
During the pilot phase, the platform recorded a 75 percent efficiency score at BATN, integrated production and reporting systems across the selected factories, and strengthened collaboration between Customs officers and factory management teams.
With the commencement of live operations, all excise-related transactions in the pilot factories — including production recording, duty computation, and statutory reporting — will now be managed exclusively through the ERS. According to the Service, the digital platform will reduce paperwork, eliminate inconsistencies, and improve transparency across the excise value chain.
The Customs Service noted that lessons from the pilot would serve as a blueprint for nationwide deployment of the system. The ERS, it added, is a key pillar of the agency’s Trade Modernisation Project and will eventually be extended to other excise-regulated industries such as beverages, spirits, and additional manufacturing sectors.
NCS Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a statement, urged industry operators and stakeholders to embrace the new system and provide feedback to strengthen its adoption.
“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 statement read.
Discover more from Inside Abuja Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
