Apapa Customs Rakes-In N1.8 Trillion Revenue In 10 Months
By Frederick Wright
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated a total of N1.8 trillion revenue between January-October 2024.
This, according to the Controller of Apapa Command of NCS, Babatunde Olomu, represents a 101% increase over last year’s revenue figure of N931.1 billion.
Olomu, who disclosed this during a press conference in Lagos, said despite a remarkable decline in the volume of trade, the command has been able to block leakages and achieved maximum collection of revenue as evidenced in our monthly activities.
He said in the month of October 2024 alone the command raked-in N264.4 billion, which is the highest monthly collection in the history of this command.
To aid trade facilitation, he said the Nigeria Customs is driving a modern and paperless system and the Apapa Command is gearing up to migrate from the old system to a new system, adding that it has keyed into trade facilitation tools like AEO and Advanced Ruling to ensure seamless movement of both import and export cargoes.
“Furthermore, in line with the Federal Government agenda of Ease of Doing Business, the command operates on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that importers take delivery of their cargoes devoid of any delay. We also have an intra government working system where all government agencies work together as a team without compromising the mandates of our respective agencies. Equally, we have a wider customs-stakeholder forum where only issues pertaining to customs alone are looked into and addressed as and when due.
“It is noteworthy to state that just last week, the command facilitated the first shipment of cargo to Kenya under the AfCFTA regime,” he stated.
On anti-smuggling activities, Olomu said the command recently seized six containers carrying falsely declared and unwholesome pharmaceutical which was formally handed over to controlled the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
However, from January 2024 to date, he said the command has made well over 36 seizures of various items ranging from used clothings, frozen poultry product, Tramadol, unregistered pharmaceutical products, and other controlled substances. These seizures are valued at over N1.5 billion.
He, however, emphasized that every consignment passing through the NCS in Apapa port would be subjected to thorough examination using scanners and physical means when necessary.
“We shall continue to detect false declarations, concealment, under valuation and other unethical practices aimed at evading duties, short changing the government and exposing citizens to unsafe products” he assured.
