Nigeria Customs in the Eyes of the National Assembly
By Abdulsalam Mahmud
Not everyone will agree. But the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is performing outstandingly well in discharging all its core mandates. Particularly in the past year, the agency has remarkably generated massive revenue for the nation.
Its officers have also not allowed smugglers and other economic saboteurs a chance to breathe. At the moment, Nigeria Customs is fully involved in checkmating the smuggling of crude products out of the country while also preventing the importation of all sorts of contraband into our shores.
As part of boosting economic activities in the country, the NCS has unveiled vital policies, programs, and measures that are already facilitating seamless and robust trade. Little wonder the agency received commendation on Wednesday from the House of Representatives’ Committee on Customs and Excise.
The lower chamber of the federal parliament was impressed with the NCS’s performance in revenue generation and safeguarding national security. The committee gave the commendation during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja.
The committee Chairman, Hon. Leke Abejide, applauded the outstanding revenue generation, trade facilitation, and the Service’s recent achievements in the seizures of arms and ammunition at a Bonded Terminal in Onne Port, Rivers State.
He also commended a similar seizure made by the officers of NCS at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, in Lagos, which, according to him, is a testament to Customs’ vigilance and effectiveness. He observed that the seizures have potentially saved countless Nigerian lives, demonstrating the exceptional skills and dedication of NCS personnel in protecting the nation’s borders.
The lawmaker urged the NCS officers not to relax. He said, “Every weapon and illicit item seized is a victory, but every attempt to smuggle them into Nigeria is a call to redouble our efforts.”
Abejide revealed that his committee will probe the activities of Bonded Terminals and Free Trade Zones, saying, “We will scrutinize the activities of Bonded Terminals and the operations of the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) facilities across the country to identify and eradicate any illegal businesses and activities.”
Responding, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, said the service is indeed grateful for such commendation, recognition, and applause from the House Committee on Customs and Excise.
He noted that the presence of the House committee underscores the critical role that legislative oversight plays in ensuring the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of NCS operations and project implementation.
According to him, as committee members, their dedication to scrutinizing and supporting NCS activities is invaluable. “The insight you bring into the oversight function and the guidance you have always provided helps Customs to serve the nation better, facilitate trade, and secure the borders while collecting revenue, vital to the economy.”
“In all aspects of our work and projects, I want to assure you that we submit wholeheartedly to legislative compliance, and we will be willing to implement directive resolutions given to us in the day-to-day operation of the Nigeria Customs Service. Your feedback and recommendations are crucial to our efforts to streamline our processes to improve our efficiency and uphold the highest standard of integrity and services,” he said.
Giving a breakdown of the success stories of the NCS, Caroline Niagwan, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, said the service was able to generate 2.742 trillion naira within the first half of 2024, surpassing the first half of the year’s expected revenue target of 2.539 trillion naira, representing 54 percent of the revenue target for the year. She said, “In the period under review, the average daily revenue collection has been 27.5 billion naira daily, surpassing the target of 19.460 billion naira.
“The service has achieved a 126.64 percent increase within the first half of the year due to teamwork and measures put in place to block revenue leakages. We have an outstanding 2.168 trillion to collect.”
She noted that for the service to align with international best practices, trade facilitation tools have been upgraded to Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programs, where reliable and compliant traders are rewarded for taking their goods with little or no customs control when they meet specific safety and security standards.
Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Bello Jibo, revealed that the ‘Operation Whirlwind’ had made many seizures of petroleum products. He revealed that NCS is collaborating with the NNPC to achieve so much.
“On the issue of security, the CGC held a press conference in Onne, Port-Harcourt, where a container fully loaded with arms and ammunition was arrested by our officers, which was later handed over to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). We collaborate and exchange intelligence among ourselves to enhance our activities,’’ Jibo said.
Furthermore, the Assistant-Comptroller General in charge of Information and Communication Technology, Kikelomo Adeola, revealed that unit officers built the application for the e-auction. She exolai6 that capacity-building programs are ongoing as part of the deliverables of the Trade Modernization Project, in addition to the provision of software and hardware components of the exercise.
The commendation by our lawmakers is not just a pat on the back for the Nigeria Customs; it is a powerful affirmation of their strategic role in the nation’s economic and security framework. Such recognition highlights the significance of their efforts in revenue generation and the meticulous enforcement actions that safeguard the country’s borders.
It underscores the critical importance of the NCS’s operations in maintaining national security and facilitating lawful trade, thereby enhancing the overall economic health of Nigeria. To consolidate these commendable feats, the agency must continue to invest in advanced technology and intelligence-gathering techniques to stay ahead of smugglers and economic saboteurs.
By embracing innovation and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, the NCS can ensure sustained excellence in its mandate, thereby contributing significantly to Nigeria’s prosperity and security.
Mahmud, Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, can be reached via: [email protected].
