The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise has pledged legislative support to the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) following urgent appeals for intervention in critical infrastructure, prolonged power outage, and operational challenges affecting the command’s efficiency.
This commitment was made on Monday when the Seme Area Command played host to members of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, led by Chairman; Leke Abejide, during a statutory oversight visit focused on operational review and budget alignment.
During the visit, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Dr. Ben Oramalugo, appealed for urgent government intervention in critical areas such as poor infrastructure, manpower shortage, lack of operational equipment, and an ongoing power outage that has plagued the Seme axis for over seven years.
He also highlighted significant achievements by the Command in the first quarter of 2025. These include revenue generation of N1.98 billion, facilitation of exports totaling N20.45 billion in Free On Board (FOB) value, and seizures of various contraband items valued at N855.7 million in Duty Paid Value (DPV).
Dr. Oramalugo underscored the strategic relevance of the Joint Border Post (JBP) along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, which fosters bilateral cooperation and trade facilitation through a one-stop clearance model with the Republic of Benin.
In response, Abejide pledged the Committee’s support in addressing the Command’s challenges, assuring that the concerns raised would be taken into account during the 2025 budgetary review.
“We are here to evaluate your operations, revenue output, and projects against approved budgets to ensure proper alignment and assess what needs to be retained or removed in the upcoming fiscal plan,” Abejide said.
He further requested performance data on revenue targets, the impact of the E-Customs platform, and smuggling suppression strategies, while assuring that officers’ welfare would remain a priority in the Committee’s legislative agenda.
The oversight visit ended with a mutual commitment to strengthening the Customs Service as a catalyst for national development, regional trade integration, and enhanced border security.
