... Targets N2.2trn By December
By Omolade AbdulKareem
Harboursandport.com: Lagos- November 4, 2024: The Apapa Area 1 Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has disclosed that it has collected over N1.9 trillion in revenue from January to October this year.
This figure represents a substantial rise compared to the N931 billion collected during the same period last year.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lagos on Monday, Customs Area Controller, CAC of the Command, Dr. Babatunde Olomu attributed the success to the dedication of the Command's officers and personnel in combating illegal trade.
The Customs boss also noted that in October 2024 alone, the Command collected N264.5 billion which was the highest monthly revenue in it's history, fueling optimism for surpassing the annual revenue target of N2.2 trillion as the year concludes.
Similarly, Olomu noted that the Command transferred six containers of improperly declared and unsafe pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
In his words, “Despite remarkable decline in the volume of trade, this Command has been able to block leakages and achieve maximum collection of revenue as evidenced in our monthly activities. It is instructive to state that for the period of October 2024, the collection is N264.5 billion.
"This is the highest monthly collection in the history of the Command. Therefore, we are hopeful of meeting and even surpassing our targets of 2.2 trillion as the year winds down.
"Let me also mention that in the month of October, we had the highest daily collection of 18.2 billion in one day.
"So we are hopeful that at this pace, because the Command is on auto pilot, within the next one week or two weeks, the Command will hit the 2 trillion naira revenue.
"Like I mentioned in other fora, the Nigeria Customs service Management is driving a modern and paperless system and here in Apapa we are gearing up to migrate from the old system to a new system while maximizing the benefits of what we have presently.
“Nevertheless, the command has keyed into trade facilitation tools like AEO and Advanced Ruling to ensure seamless movement of both import and export cargoes.
"From January 2024 to date, the command has executed over 36 seizures, with a total value exceeding N1.5 billion, including various illicit items ranging from used clothing to unregistered pharmaceuticals”
In accordance with the Federal Government's Ease of Doing Business initiative, Comptroller Olomu stated that the Command now functions on weekends to guarantee prompt cargo delivery for importers.
He further noted that these seizures reflect strong inter-agency collaboration and the commitment to preventing harmful imports from reaching the Nigerian market.
The contents of these containers, including unapproved tramadol and other controlled substances that poses significant health risks as well as violated several legal provisions.
He also disclosed that of six containers containing falsely declared items and unwholesome pharmaceutical products were handed to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
Olomu expressed gratitude to the partner agencies and the private sector for their collaboration, which led to improved compliance levels among stakeholders at the port.
He urged all port users to recognize that every consignment will undergo thorough examination, either through scanning or physical inspection, to detect false declarations and other unethical practices.
He said, “I want to specially thank all sister government agencies and our strategic private sector partners for being part of the success we are celebrating today.
"Their contributions have been invaluable, and the impacts are evident in our scorecard."
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