Apapa command generated N676bn in eight months, says customs

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Command in Lagos, says it generated N676 billion from January to August 2023.

Auwal Mohammed, the assistant comptroller-general, disclosed this while handing over to Babajide Jaiyeoba, the new area comptroller.

Speaking at the event in Lagos on Tuesday, Mohammed urged officers of the command to rededicate themselves to service and surpass government expectations of them for revenue collection, prevention of smuggling, and trade facilitation.

He applauded the officers for the feats they achieved together while he was the area controller.

“Teamwork, diligence and zero compromise assisted in several revenue and other operational successes that the command recorded under my watch,” Mohammed said.

“Apapa command collected its highest monthly and daily revenue in August 2023.

“A total of N136 billion was collected as monthly revenue in August while N10 billion was collected on August 3, being the highest monthly and daily collections in the history of the NCS.”

Mohammed, who assumed office at the customs headquarters as acting controller general, technical services, urged the officers to continually prevent the smuggling or importation of prohibited items.

The senior customs agent said the port is critical to the economy and national security, hence, the import and export prohibition list should be adhered to at all times.

He added that some of the seizures made within the eight-month period include N21.6 billion worth of tramadol packed in 720 cartons, containing 143.8 million units of 225 miligram tablets and weighing 10.3 tonnes.

Mohammed also said the customs handed over another 20 cartons of illicit drugs valued at N1.4 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

On the use of technology for trade facilitation, he said the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS ll) depends on true and proper declaration to work well, adding that acts like false declaration accounts for most delays traders go through in the port.

The former area controller also said the deployment of scanners has improved operations at the port, as an average of 120 containers are scanned daily as against the 50 that were hitherto examined at the earlier stage.

He, therefore, reminded officers that the federal government has high expectations from the NCS.

Mohammed also urged exporters to take advantage of the domestic export warehouse (DEW) and other initiatives by the government that allow cargoes to seamlessly access the port and be loaded into vessels without going through multiple checks and reopening of containers.