The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has unveiled plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost revenue generation, strengthen fiscal discipline, and enhance transparency in public accounting.
Gatekeepers News reports that Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this during a three-day capacity-building workshop held in Abuja. He said the initiative is designed to reposition the Service into a technology-driven institution, reduce leakages, and improve the accuracy of remittances to the federation account.
According to him, the NCS is taking an unconventional approach by inviting lawmakers to directly observe its technological advancements aimed at improving accountability.
“We are all united in the best form possible to ensure transparency in public accounts.
We are united by a common objective of achieving fiscal discipline and bringing some holdings of accounts in our duty of revenue generation,” Adeniyi said.
He further revealed that the Service has already begun integrating AI into its non-intrusive inspection systems.
“We have cameras that are AI-enabled, that can actually predict image analysis to identify objects that may be considered [contraband],” he explained.
Adeniyi added that the training programme would prepare officers to function effectively in an AI-driven environment, expressing optimism that improved record-keeping would reduce the frequency of parliamentary summons.
The workshop, attended by members of the National Assembly Public Accounts Committees and other fiscal stakeholders, is also aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration and ensuring all parties are aligned on operational processes.
Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola, described AI as a critical tool for modern governance rather than a futuristic concept.
“Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept or procedure. It is a present-day tool that offers unprecedented opportunities to optimise revenue processes, minimise leakages, improve remittance accuracy, and ensure seamless reconciliation,” she said.
She noted that the growing complexity of global trade makes a transition from manual systems inevitable.
“From automated data analysis to predictive intelligence and real-time reconciliation systems, AI presents us with the capability to transform how we manage and safeguard public funds,” she added.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with key oversight institutions, including the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission and the Federation Account Allocation Committee.
Officials expressed confidence that the integration of technology with legislative oversight would enhance transparency across Nigeria’s revenue value chain.
