The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi continues to push for remarkable increase in the service’s revenue generation through the deployment of professional expertise and pragmatism thus, the monthly revenue generation keeps increasing
The Nigeria Customs Service’s Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi said the agency has been recording impressive revenue collections in the past few months since he was appointed the CGC.
The incumbent CGC of Customs specifically said that the agency’s monthly collection has risen from N202bn to N333.9bn in the past four months. Speaking during a national workshop on legislative compliance in Abuja, he said that the Service has so far collected an average revenue of N202bn in the first half of the year. The CG said the revenue increased by about 65.5percent to N333.9bn in the months of July and October. He was quoted saying, “One of our early achievements has been a remarkable boost in monthly revenue collection.
“I am delighted to announce that we have consistently exceeded the monthly target collection of N307 billion, marking a remarkable departure from previous performances.
“The joint efforts of the NCS and the legislative arm of government have allowed us to respond effectively to public concerns and petitions.’’
At the workshop which theme was “The Imperatives of Legislative Compliance in Deepening Democracy and Good Governance’’, CGC Adeniyi said among the challenges faced by the Service was budgetary constraints which limit the Service’s capacity to enforce compliance. He said this was capable of affecting the Service in the acquisition of modern technology, training programmes and recruitment of personnel for enforcement operations. According to him, lack of adequate infrastructure and technology at border areas can also affect ability of the Service to regulate trade effectively.
Meanwhile, Adeniyi has officially inaugurated a committee on the Disposal of Overtime Cargoes, to rid the ports of thousands of such cargoes. This development arose in response to the new Customs Act’s provisions, which empower the NCS to dispose of containers that have exceeded their allotted time within the ports.
At the inauguration which took place at the Customs headquarters in Abuja, Adeniyi emphasized that alleviating port congestion stands as a paramount objective for the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, offering the promise of heightened efficiency and enhanced trade facilitation.
“It’s worth noting that approximately six months ago, the new NCS Act received the former President Mohammed Buhari’s signature, ushering in substantial modifications to the previous protocols governing the disposal of overtime cargo,” the Customs boss stated.
According to him, the provision of the NCS Act 2023 mandated that the disposal of cargo exceeding its allotted time can now only occur through a court order.
“The Act also stipulates that goods must be disposed of through public auction or tender, to be widely publicized in advance through national newspapers, television, and the service’s official website,” CG of Customs explained.
In acknowledging the initiative, the General Manager in the Managing Director’s office of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Durowaiye Ayodele, expressed his relief, highlighting the issue of over 7,000 overtime containers that have remained for years across the ports.
“We have containers that have been there for over 10 years, occupying economic space for which we are unable to dispose. So this is a significant relief for our operations. We are delighted that we have reached a point where we can begin to remove some of these lingering containers and overdue cargo from the port,” he stated.
In his remarks, Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, in charge of Human Resources Development, Greg Itotoh, affirmed that with the support of the Nigerian Ports Authority, the changes and new procedures will ensure more streamlined trade operations.
The committee is set to be chaired by a senior officer from the Nigeria Customs Service. Its members include representatives from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the National Agency for Food, Drugs and Control, a representative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, among others.
