The Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has collected ₦1,610,906,781,₦21.82k as revenue, as at the end of the third quarter of 2024.
The amount collected is higher than N1,172,414,793,960.32k that was collected as total revenue for the same period in Year 2023.
Customs Area Controller (CAC) for the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, described the feat as a fallout of diligence and integrity.
He assured that the Apapa Command will continually engage with stakeholders to improve on revenue collection achievements and reduced smuggling recorded to its credit.
He 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.
Comptroller Olomu said the various trade facilitation programmes put in place by the Comptroller General of Customs, 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 officers of the Apapa Command for the achievement in revenue collection, relying on diligent examination and uncompromising interventions through issuance of demand notices, where and when necessary.
The CAC restated the zero tolerance of CGC Adeniyi for smuggling in a release by the Customs Public Relations Officer, Apapa Command, Usman Abubakar.
The Apapa Command, Olomu said, shall continually engage with all stakeholders to sustain the rising level of compliance, which has resulted in reduced smuggling in the area.
He said strict monitoring of cargoes, constant profiling of port users, sensitisation of stakeholders and in-house training and retraining of customs officers have jointly contributed to the almost zero-level of smuggling in recent times.
Olomu urged all port users in Apapa to avail themselves of the services of the dispute resolution team to resolve all areas of uncertainty.
He reassured licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and haulage operators of the Command’s readiness to assist at all times.
Olomu thanked sister government agencies for their support, assuring that the Apapa 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 stated.
