The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Tuesday said it collected N366 billion in the first half of the year.
The Area Controller, Comptroller Yusuf Ibrahim, said at a media briefing in Lagos that this represents 61 per cent increase when compared to the N227 billion collected in the first half of 2020.
According to him, the spectacular achievement was made possible by the resilience and commitment of officers in the command, in ensuring collection of appropriate revenue.
He said that robust stakeholders’ engagement and seamless facilitation of compliant trade were also contributory factors.
“The Command has taken a giant stride in the just-concluded month of June which yielded an outstanding result in its revenue generation.
“We are, therefore, motivated even to do more and more in the coming months,” he said.
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Ibrahim said that the command generated a revenue of N78.4 billion in the month of June, which clearly showed an increase of over 90 per cent when compared to the N42.4 billion collected in the corresponding month under review.
He said that sustained anti-smuggling campaign and the increased level of compliance had resulted in reduction of smuggling activities throughout the command.
“Thus, for the period under review, the command recorded 10 seizures of various uncustomed goods such as tomato paste, used clothing, unregistered pharmaceutical drugs, others with a Duty Paid Value of N442 million.
“This unprecedented record is a great validation of our new approach to revenue drive.
“It is also fitting to emphasise here that this volume of revenue has never been recorded in the history of the flagship command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Consequent upon the above and in line with the provision of extant laws, trade guidelines and enforcement of Government Fiscal Policy, the command was able to strengthen its anti-smuggling operation against economic saboteurs through timely credible intelligence-driven network.
“This led to the seizure of 46 containers between January to June with Duty Paid Value of N27.6 billion,” he said.
He pointed out that these importations were contrary to the provision of sections 46 & 47 of Customs and Excise Management Act CAP C45 LFN 2004 and Customs & Excise Notices No.1491.
As regards export, Ibrahim said that the statistics of the command showed that goods worth N272.3 billion had been exported through Apapa port in the period under review.
He listed the exports to include agricultural goods such as sesame seed, ginger, hibiscus flower and other mineral resources.
Ibrahim said that the total tonnage of the said exports stood at 1.6 million tonnes with Free on Board (FOB) value of $103 billion dollars.
He expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs and his management team for the opportunity, trust, support and encouragement given to the officers in the command in the course of discharging their responsibilities.
Ibrahim urged all importers, exporters, customs brokers and freight forwarders to imbibe the culture of compliance as part of their standard operating procedure, to reduce time and cost of doing business.
“I equally wish to sincerely thank our valuable stakeholders in the clearance value chain, government agencies operating in the port and of course, members of the fourth estate of the realm for their unflinching support towards the realisation of this feat,” he said.
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