Apapa Customs thumps up CGC’s trade facilitation programs, rakes in N1.6tn revenue

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has restated how the various trade facilitation programmes put in place by the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, have rubbed off on the overall benefit of the nation’s economy.

The command to this end has announced a revenue collection of N1,610,906,781,421.82k as at the end of the third quarter of 2024, which is higher than N1,172,414,793,960.32k that was collected as total revenue of the year 2023.

The Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, who disclosed this to newsman on Monday in Lagos, further described the feat as a fallout of diligence and integrity, as the command would continually engage with stakeholders to improve revenue collection and reduce smuggling.

In a release signed by Usman Abubakar, Public Relations Officer, Apapa Port Command, Olomu described the N201.8bn collected in July and N193.9bn in September as spectacular figures capable of being replicated again in the last quarter of 2024.

The various trade facilitations as: advance ruling, time release study and Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) he Olomu have no doubt being a magic wand in trade and revenue generation.

While commending 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, the Area Controller reiterated the CGC’s zero tolerance for smuggling.

The command, according to the CAC, shall continually engage with all stakeholders to sustain the rising level of compliance, which has resulted in reduced smuggling in the area.

He 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.

The CAC 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.

He thanked sister government agencies for their support and 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.

“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 said.