The Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi, has reiterated his commitment to decongest the ports to enhance trade.
He gave the assurance when the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani led a delegation on a visit to the Customs headquarters on Friday.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada in Abuja on Friday.
Adeniyi said plans are underway to address the problem, adding that the service would do everything within its capacity to see to its actualisation.
“The major issue involved in this case will be the problem of congestion at our ports, and we are going to implement measures that will address this matter diligently”, he assured.
Adeniyi said one of the measures the service would adopt was to ensure that traders desist from stacking cargoes and containers at the ports.
According to him, the service will ensure it implements the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which, prohibits traders from stacking cargo and containers at the ports for a long time.
He said following the law, Customs would facilitate the auctioning or destruction of such items, to serve as deterrent.
The Comptroller-General said it was important for stakeholders to collaborate with the service to implement the policies that create sufficient space at the ports.
On trade facilitation, Adeniyi said the service would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to strategise on implementing policies that would boost trade facilitation among others.
“I have always believed that Customs administration should act as a genuine agent for trade facilitation and this is what I have been doing all over my career.
“It is clear that the Nigerian law has authorised Customs Service to synergise with security institutions and other agencies of government as a form of collaboration.
“This is to yield positive results to carry out the business of facilitating trade in the country,”he said.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation said the ministry was equally working to decongest ports, adding that “they were over-spilled with overtime cargo.”
She said the ministry had constituted a committee with members drawn from the Nigeria Customs Service as well as Transportation Ministry and its agencies to tackle the problem.
Ajani further said overtime cargo disposal committee was working to implement policies that would decongest the four major ports in the country.
“We are working in different dimensions but the result will be prodigious, after launching a sensitisation exercise to stakeholders and members of the ports community about the process,” she stated.
