Richard Ginika Izuora
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, said it processed through Onne Port in Rivers State 1,096,646.14 metric tonnes of goods for export in 2022.
The Free On Board (FOB) value of the export was $1,268,038,648.91 equivalent to N522,102,233,326.76 (N411.7 per dollar).
The Ports Customs’ Command, also recorded a total of N2,713,884,004.19 for Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS), higher when compared with year 2021 record of ₦881,011,957.22.
The Command, during the year, collected a sum of Two hundred and Forty-Two billion, Ninety million, Six hundred and Twenty-Nine thousand, Three hundred and Nine Naira, Twenty-Nine kobo (N242,090,629,309.29) from duty paid on imported goods.
Comptroller Auwal Mohammed, the Controller of the Command, disclosed these feats in a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs Lomba Benjamin.
Mohammed noted that the 2022 revenue generated represents a 28.3% increase against amount generated in 2021 and 59% increase over revenue generated in year 2020.
“The Command revenue generation profile has continued to rise annually due to the ongoing reforms in the Command, which include regular sensitisation of stakeholders, strict enforcement of extant guidelines, increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above self, strategic deployment of officers to various duty post.
“We have consistently made it clear that the Command welcomes only compliant traders who are willing to operate in accordance with the laid down extant laws and guidelines of importation and exportation.
“We have also shown a clear resolve to deal ruthlessly with importers and agents who manifest a recalcitrant attitude to obeying these laws. The Command maintains open lines of communication between all governments agencies at all times. The process of information sharing within the agencies goes a long way in assisting us to identify and neutralize all possible avenues that could lead to compromises in revenue and security,” he said.
The Command in the year recorded a lot of seizures with a duty paid value of One billion, Seven hundred and Sixty-One million, Eight hundred and Seventy-Nine thousand, Four hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira, Nine kobo (N1,761,879,428.9).
The seizures include 12,560 cartons of Tomatoes paste with duty paid value of N137,618,985.00, 1,665 cartons of pharmaceutical products with duty paid value of N338,103,951.00, 3,768 bales of Textiles fabrics with duty paid value of N475,833,592.45, 2100 gallons of 25 litre Vegetable oil with duty paid value of N66,549,420.00, and 4409 cartons of Soap/Detergent with duty paid values of N159,665,612.00.
Others include 1054 cartons of tobacco and cigarette with duty paid value of N76,086,287.00, 10,462 pieces of Used tyres with duty paid value of N94,645,081.00 and 9 Used vehicles with duty paid value of N71,869,316.50
The Controller said the Command could record the seizures as a result of synergy between it and other security agencies including the Nigeria Police force, Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
“The Command looks forward to unprecedented performance this year 2023 while we appreciate the Comptroller–General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd.) and his management team for their consistent encouragement and support, we promise reassuring continued resilience and diligence of officers and men of the Command in carrying out all statutory responsibilities without compromise. We also appreciate our stakeholders including sister agencies, the business community and other organizations for their support and cooperation with the command. Members of the press we thank you for continued partnership with the command, we assure you of constant engagement for conveying information to the public in this new working year,” said the Controller.