By Saminu Ibrahim
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the nationwide implementation of its Internal Corruption Risk Analysis and Mapping (ICRAM) framework aimed at identifying and tackling corruption risks across its operations.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday signed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Conducting ICRAM, the ICRAM Handbook and the Integrity Action Plan, directing their immediate implementation across all zones, commands and units of the Service.
Adeniyi gave the directive on October 6, 2026, during a ceremony at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, where he also formally activated the ICRAM Steering Committee.
He said the documents were developed through collaboration between an internal NCS team, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and partner administrations, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
According to him, the initiative is designed to ensure that integrity remains at the centre of Customs operations by providing officers with practical tools to identify, assess and address corruption risks at ports, borders and airports.
“These two documents are products of a painstaking process which we have undertaken with efforts from an internal team working together with our partners from the WCO and a number of other Customs administrations that have walked this path with us to ensure that we have a Service where integrity leads,” Adeniyi said.
The Comptroller-General added that the framework would enable officers to conduct corruption risk mapping within their areas of responsibility and implement targeted measures to strengthen integrity.
Earlier, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of the Strategic Research and Policy Department, Nafi’u Isyaku, led senior officers in presenting the documents and sought approval for their full rollout across the Service.
The ICRAM methodology had earlier been piloted in seven key commands and units, covering 66 processes across regulatory, core Customs and support functions.
The pilot covered the Apapa Area Command under the sea modality; Murtala Muhammed Cargo (MMAC) and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Commands under the air modality; Seme Area Command under the land modality; and the Customs Police Unit Zone A, PAAR Ruling Centre and Procurement Unit as specialised units.
The exercise produced an Integrity Action Plan containing 101 action items and 295 sub-action items.
Key areas identified for improvement include enhanced automation, stronger supervision and accountability, robust audit trails and traceability, clear segregation of duties, regular staff rotation, targeted training, and improved controls over interactions between officers and stakeholders.
The NCS said the nationwide rollout is expected to strengthen its institutional integrity framework and provide a systematic approach to preventing and mitigating corruption risks across its operations.
