No More Hidden Charges: Customs Launches Digital System to Verify Imported Cars Instantly
- The Nigeria Customs Service has unveiled a new platform to enable Nigerians verify imported vehicles status independently
- The move aims to reduce delays and improve transparency while boosting revenue and efficiency
- Customs boss, Adewale Adeniyi, said Nigerians and importers can seamless verify imported vehicles with N15,000
Pascal Oparada, a reporter for Legit.ng, has over ten years of experience covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a new digital platform that allows Nigerians to independently verify the status and authenticity of imported vehicles, a move aimed at eliminating fraud, reducing delays, and improving transparency in car importation and clearance.
Unveiled in Abuja by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Customs Verification Management System (CVMS) empowers individuals, car dealers, and importers to confirm whether appropriate duties have been paid on any imported vehicle.
Source: Getty Images
Putting an end to middlemen and fraudulent verifications
For a verification fee of ₦15,000, users can instantly confirm a vehicle’s duty status by entering its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the new platform and making payment with any locally or internationally issued debit or credit card.
Before now, verifying an imported vehicle’s status required going through intermediaries, a process fraught with delays, manipulation, and fraud.
This lack of a centralised verification system often led to inconsistent duty payments and significant revenue losses for the government.
With the launch of CVMS, Adeniyi said, the Customs Service is now providing a simple, secure, and transparent alternative that cuts off the middlemen and gives Nigerians direct access to authentic records.
“For years, the verification of imported vehicles relied on fragmented and outdated methods,” he explained.
“These systems created opportunities for misinformation and revenue leakage. With CVMS, we are introducing a seamless and secure way to verify vehicle duty payment status within minutes.”
Powered by local innovation and technology
The new platform, Adeniyi revealed, was developed in collaboration with the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) and indigenous technology company, Afripoint Consult.
The partnership reflects the Customs Service’s growing reliance on homegrown digital solutions to enhance efficiency and support Nigeria’s ongoing trade digitalisation reforms.
Adeniyi added that the system was successfully piloted for two months before its official rollout and is now fully operational and accessible worldwide.
Centralised data and real-time verification
According to the Customs boss, the CVMS creates a centralised database that enables real-time verification of vehicle records, streamlining operations across Customs commands and enforcement units.
He noted that this innovation will also support law enforcement by allowing officers to trace vehicles more easily, detect unpaid duties, and clamp down on smuggling and illegal imports.
Beyond Customs, the platform is expected to benefit the public and auto industry, empowering buyers to confirm the legitimacy of vehicles before purchase.
“The system democratises access to verified information and eliminates inconsistencies,” Adeniyi said.
“It provides real-time validated data that improves decision-making for both the public and Customs officers.”
A step toward transparent, modern Customs operations
The launch of CVMS marks another milestone in the Nigeria Customs Service’s drive toward full digitalisation and revenue integrity.
By enabling citizens to verify vehicles directly, the agency hopes to build public trust, strengthen compliance, and reduce revenue leakage, key goals of its modernisation agenda.
With the click of a button, Nigerians can now confirm whether a vehicle has paid its full duties, bringing long-awaited transparency to one of the most opaque corners of Nigeria’s import system.
Meanwhile, a prior reported by Legit.ng disclosed that a perfect storm of economic pressures, including a depreciating naira, soaring living costs, and new import tariffs, is making these imported cars a luxury few can afford.
Source: Getty Images
This trend is not just changing the landscape of the Nigerian auto market; it's creating a new economic reality where locally-used cars are king, and a surprising new group of buyers is emerging.
For years, a foreign-used car represented a reliable, affordable option for many Nigerians.
CBN releases cheapest Customs rate for import duty
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerian importers will pay less to clear goods at Nigeria’s air and seaports following the naira’s appreciation.
Data from the Customs trade portal shows that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lowered the foreign exchange rate for cargo clearance at Nigeria’s ports.
The apex bank fixed the Customs foreign exchange rate at N1,470.53 per dollar.
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Source: Legit.ng
