The Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service said it has generated a total sum of N1,610,906,781,421.82k to the Federal government coffers as at the end of the third quarter of year 2024.
This amount recorded is higher than N1,172,414,793,960.32k that was collected as total revenue of the year 2023.
According to a press statement made available by the Command Public Relations Officer, CSC Usman Abubakar, it states that the Customs Area Controller for the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, fsi described the feat as a fallout of diligence and integrity.
Comptroller Olomu said that the command will continually engage with stakeholders to improve on the revenue collection achievements and reduced smuggling recorded to the command’s credit.
Olomu identified the N201.8b collected in July 2024 and N193.9b in September 2024 as spectacular figures, capable of being replicated again in the last quarter of the year beginning from October.
He disclosed that the various trade facilitation programmes put in place by the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, like advance ruling, time release study and Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) are being dutifully implemented for the overall benefit of the nation’s economy.
He commended the officers of the command for the achievement in revenue collection relying on diligent examination and uncompromising interventions through issuance of demand notices, where and when necessary. He however reiterated the CGC’s zero tolerance for smuggling.
He hinted that the command shall continually engage with all stakeholders to sustain the rising level of compliance, which has resulted in reduced smuggling in the area.
The Command boss said the strict monitoring of cargoes, constant profiling of port users, sensitization of stakeholders and in-house training, and retraining of customs officers have jointly contributed to the almost zero level of smuggling in recent times.
He urged all port users in Apapa to avail themselves of the services of the dispute resolution team to resolve all areas of uncertainty while reassuring licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and haulage operators of the command’s readiness to assist at all times.
Appreciating other sister government agencies for their support, Comptroller Olomu stated that the command will always leverage on its relationship with them to share intelligence against criminal elements, do joint examinations in line with extant standard operating procedures (SOPs) and promote compliance at all times.
In.his words “Our revenue collection is good, and I know we can do better with more impressive results in the last quarter of 2024. I want to thank our compliant stakeholders for their cooperation in supporting us to achieve this level of collection.
” Reduced smuggling activities is a testament to affirm the compliance we are celebrating, and I can say the best is yet to come. We are not losing guard. Our tempo of vigilance is airtight, which attests to our capacity to detect smuggling and make seizures.
” As we do trade facilitation, our anti smuggling activities are done side by side leveraging on our non intrusive technology for cargo scanning and physical examination when necessary. Let me also state that these standards and procedures are strictly adhered to in all bonded terminals under our control”, Comptroller Olomu quipped.
