The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun the automation of its Excise Register System (ERS) used to register, monitor, and regulate companies that produce or import goods subject to excise duties.

The NCS’s spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The NCS had announced in August plans to phase out the manual ERS and replace it with an automated ERS as part of efforts to modernise its excise operations and boost revenue collection.

The ERS is a digital system integrated with the Unified Customs Management System known as B’odogwu, developed to enhance transparency and block revenue leakages.

Mr Maiwada said the ERS officially went live at three key excise facilities across the country, including British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) PLC in Oyo State, International Tobacco Company (ITC) Limited in Kwara, and Leaf Tobacco and Commodities Nigeria Ltd in Kaduna State.

He explained that these factories were deliberately chosen as pilot sites in recognition of their strategic importance to Nigeria’s excise sector and their capacity to provide a strong foundation for the nationwide rollout.

According to him, with the commencement of live operations, all excise-related transactions at the three factories will now be managed exclusively through the ERS.

“This includes recording production figures, computing excise duties, and generating statutory reports,” he stated.

Mr Maiwada said the platform would reduce reliance on manual documentation, enhance transparency, and eliminate inconsistencies in data reporting.

The spokesman explained that the introduction of the automated system followed the successful conclusion of the pilot phase of its automated ERS conducted in July and August.

“The formal activation of the ERS followed a series of extensive field activities undertaken by the service. This included rigorous User Acceptance Testing (UAT), system validation processes, and comprehensive hands-on training engagements with both Customs officers and excise factory personnel,” he said.

Mr Maiwada said the pilot phase served as an evaluation phase for the new digital platform, which recorded notable achievements, including attaining a 75 per cent efficiency score during UAT at BATN.

He emphasised that the ERS was a central pillar of the NCS’s broader Trade Modernisation Project and would be extended to cover other excise-regulated industries, including beverages, spirits, and additional segments of the manufacturing sector in the next phase.

He urged the stakeholders to embrace the system and provide feedback, which would guide them in expanding its rollout nationwide.

(NAN)