Customs: Revenue from Onne Port hit N242bn in 2022 — exceeded 2021 income by N53bn

The Area II command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Onne Port, Rivers state, says it generated N242 billion revenue in 2022.

Auwal Mohammed, customs area controller, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

According to NAN, Mohammed said the command’s revenue generation in 2022 surpassed the 2021 collection by N53.3 billion, adding that N188.7 billion was generated as revenue in 2021.

“I attribute the collection of N242 billion as total revenue for 2022 to regular stakeholders’ engagement, increased compliance level of the port users, and non-compromise on the part of officers,” he said.

“The command engaged its stakeholders regularly on the need to abide by extant laws guiding import and export.

“Periodic meetings with importers, exporters, terminal operators, licensed customs agents and freight forwarders afforded the command the opportunity of regularly enlightening them on the import and export prohibitions.”

On anti-smuggling initiatives, he said the command made some seizures in 2022, adding that the feat was achieved through meticulous physical examination of cargoes.

“Antics by smugglers to conceal prohibited items by hiding them at the end of containers with the hope that customs officers won’t get to the end during examination failed as all such concealments were uncovered and seized,” he said.

“The seizures made comprise of machetes brought into the country without end-user certificate, military wears, vegetable oil, whisky, soap, and used clothings.

“Other seizures included used tyres, foreign parboiled rice, tomato paste, used vehicle parts, and other items either classified as prohibited or for which duty payments were being evaded.”

He added that the command recorded an increase in export worth N2.71 billion under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS), which is over 300 percent higher when compared with N881.01 million recorded in 2021.