Customs Nets N1.02trn from Lagos Port Operations in Six Months

Customs Generate N1.02trn from Lagos Port in First Half of 2023

Customs received N1.02 trillion in income from the Lagos port in January through June.

Nigeria Customs Service Apapa Command generates N1.02 trillion in revenue from January to June 2024, a 143% increase from the previous year, thanks to improved trade facilitation, revenue recovery, and anti-smuggling strategies.

On Monday, July 8, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Command in Lagos State declared that from January to June 2024, it had gathered N1.02 trillion in revenue.

Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the Apapa Port Customs Area Controller, said during the half-year media briefing in Lagos that this sum is a 143% increase over the N421.38 billion that was collected in 2023.

The command's improved trade facilitation, revenue recovery, and anti-smuggling tactics, which have been in place since Olomu took office on May 6, 2024, are responsible for the notable increase in revenue.

Olomu underlined that extra steps had been taken to maintain government revenue in the face of a noticeable decline in trade volume.

“Upon taking over as Area Controller of Apapa, I set up a revenue recovery committee comprising seasoned and dedicated officers with a mandate to carry out more detailed look into areas of leakages, especially in bonded terminals under Apapa Command.

“Within the period under review, the command said it seized 11 containers containing prohibited items such as expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals, foot-wears, used clothing, armoured cables and frozen poultry products, among others, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N424.1 million,” Olomu disclosed.

According to him, these containers were filled with 7,580 cartons of frozen poultry items that were unfit for human consumption, in violation of section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and schedule 3 of the updated import restriction list of the Common External Tariff (CET).

Olomu outlined the command's trade facilitation initiatives, emphasizing how intelligence and community connections are used to increase trade facilitation, raise knowledge of the operational environment, and thwart illegal behaviour.

He underlined that the command's committed group of officers, who handled complaints and conflicts quickly before referring them to his office, were the reason these efforts were successful.

Effective intelligence gathering and strengthened community relationships have significantly boosted revenue collection, facilitated ease of doing business, prevented revenue losses, and fostered collaborative efforts with government agencies and private sector stakeholders, leading to enhanced overall performance.

“We are also not leaving anything to chance for economic saboteurs as our non-intrusive inspection (NII) regime is fully in place, where scanners are deployed for cargo examination with support of physical examination where and when necessary,” he said.

Olomu, who was worried about the consequences of the contraband, issued a warning, stating that it is impossible to measure the harm that unregistered and counterfeit medicinal products can do to people. They have an obligation to protect Nigerians from harmful importations as a responsible service.

The Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other current laws forbid smuggling and other forms of criminality, thus he issued a warning to anyone who engage in these activities, warning them that the Apapa Command is committed to stopping unlawful importation.

“Consequently, in line with the CGC zero tolerance for smuggling, I have reformed the command's way of treating transires by ensuring more meticulous management of cargoes moving from the mother port to bonded terminals. This has become necessary to prevent a situation where smugglers attempt to perpetuate illegalities in bonded terminals.

“To sustain this tempo, no cargo is allowed to exit our control without thorough inspection using the scanner. We shall not compromise on this, as we will keep making seizures, detention and arrests where necessary to protect the national economy and prevent Nigerians from exposure to dangerous or unwholesome products like illicit drugs.”

He commended sister agencies that collaborate with the NCS as a team with shared responsibilities and support, including the Nigerian Police, Department of State Services, DSS, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and others.