By Harriet Tornguvan
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Wale Adeniyi, says the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) generated N 4.49 trillion between June 2023 and May 2024, representing 74 per cent growth in revenue collection.
Adeniyi, who made this known at a news conference in Abuja, to mark his one-year in office, said only N2.58 trillion was collected during the corresponding period of the previous year.
He said the milestone was attained following sustained increase of 70.13 per cent in average monthly revenue collection compared to the previous year.
According to him, customs recorded an average monthly revenue collection of N343 billion within the year under review, compared to N202 billion monthly average of the previous year.
Adeniyi added that, there was a substantial 122.35 per cent rise in revenue collection during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year.
He said the gains were attributed to various strategic initiatives, including N15 billion recovery by the Revenue Review Performance Recovery exercise.
He further said the sum of N2.79 billion was recovered from the 90-day window for the
regularisation of documents of “uncustomed” vehicles.
The customs boss also said the sum of N1.5 billion was recovered from the decongestion of 1,705
overtime containers and 981 vehicles from the port.
He added that the service recorded daily All-Time-High of N58.5 billion in revenue collection on June 13.
Adeniyi said beyond revenue generation,the service equally recorded tremendous achievements in other areas through strategic initiatives, including trade facilitation and protection of the society. Other areas according to him, are security, collaboration, staff welfare among others.
On trade facilitation, Adeniyi said the service was able to decongest ports and reopen previously
inaccessible access roads.
He further said, the designation of a dedicated terminal for exports had yielded significant gains, facilitating the processing of export goods through the Lilypond command.
According to him, the terminal, which initially handled 317 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) in transactions, now manages 7,464 SGDs, He added that, it accounted for 19.49 per cent of the total of 38,294 export transactions recorded in 2023.
The customs boss said, by the first quarter of 2024, the service had processed a total of 10,786 transactions, with 3,162, that is, (29.32 per cent of the processed transaction, through the dedicated export terminal.
On protection of the society, Adeniyi said the service’s anti-smuggling efforts in the past year had intensified, resulting in significant interceptions, high-value seizures, and numerous arrests.
“The service recorded 63 seizures related to animal and wildlife products valued at ₦566 million.
“Additionally, seven seizures of arms and ammunition were made through our ports and borders.
“In terms of illicit drugs, a combined total of 127 cases involving narcotics and pharmaceutical products were seized, valued at over ₦6 billion,” he said.
The customs boss further said, “the service also recorded 724 seizures of 2.93 million litres of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) that were attempted to be smuggled out of the country.
“The illegal dealings in petroleum evacuation have garnered the interest of relevant stakeholders.
“The ongoing Operation Whirlwind will continue to intercept and disrupt the activities of smugglers in this regard.”
Adeniyi said in terms of food security, the service recorded 1,744 cases of rice and grain seizures valued at ₦4.4 billion.
He said the effort underscored NCS’s commitment to protecting society and ensuring national security.
On collaboration, the customs boss said an 81.5 per cent gain was achieved in the service’s reform indices under the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council PEBEC ranking.
He said the collaborative effort of the service had led to smoother operations with stakeholders, facilitated by regular interactions.
“The NCS has now instituted a routine to update the public on its activities through quarterly reports. This initiative, introduced in the first quarter of the year, will continue with the second quarter.
On staff welfare, Adeniyi said a number of incentives had been approved, with some already implemented.
He said the achievements recorded by the service in the last one year, improved its ranking among Ministries, Agencies and Departments(MDAs) by the PEBEC.
According to him, customs moved up 33 places, to be among the top 4 other MDAs out of 36 assessed,
with a percentage score of 100 per cent, marking 81.5 per cent increase.
“Between 2020 and 2022, the NCS maintained an average percentage score of 18.45 per cent, ranking 28th out of the 37 MDAs renked.
“By 2023, the NCS ranking fell further to 34th out of 39 MDAs, with a percentage score of 18.53 per cent.
“This remarkable improvement is directly attributed to the trade fecilitation measures implemented within the past year
"The NCS remains committed to ensuring that all recommendations and global best practices are implemented to the highest standard.”
Adeniyi said MDAs were ranked by activities under eight broad indicator levels, including efficiency reforms, transparency, review and update of Service Level Agreements, and support for manufacturing and agriculture export.
He assured that the measures so far implemented and the results so far achieved, were designed to yield positive benefits for the overall well-being of the nation.
Adeniyi said, moving forward, the service would work hard to consolidate it’s achievements within the last one year.
“When the NCS facilitates trade and reduces the costs and encumbrances importers face, it translates to lower costs for importers, which should eventually reflect in price reductions for consumers.
“While these gains may experience some lag due to factors beyond our control, such as transportation, infrastructure and information asymmetry, we remain committed
to our role.
“This is why the NCS is also focused on plugging leakages and improving revenue collection to support the funding of the government initiatives.
“Our mandate to protect society should be seen in the context of mitigating the damaging effects of illicit substances like codeine and cannabis indica on the
productive youth of Nigeria,”he said.
Adeniyi further said, “intercepting the entry of arms and ammunition is crucial in preventing the worsening of our national security situation.
"Unchecked smuggling of prohibited items not only fuels illegal activities but also strengthens unscrupulous individuals who seek to destabilise the peace, security and prosperity of our country.
“More recently, PMS smuggling has emerged as a potential national security threat.
“Beyond the funding it provides for smugglers, the deprivation of Nigerians’ access to PMS can cause significant disruptions and exacerbates the hardships faced by many.”
The customs boss further said, the service was making a concerted effort to engage stakeholders and communicate effectively with Nigerians.
He assured that measures were in place to improve their well-being and alleviate any hardships they may be facing.
According to him, the ultimate goal of the service is to contribute to a safer and more prosperous Nigeria for all.
“This performance report is not oblivious of the challenges that we face and will reassure members of the public of our efforts in the following areas:
On exchange rate. With the support of the Honourable Minster of Finance, NCS is working in close collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria to achieve a stable rate for import of goods to enable
business plan activities.
“On compliance with Customs laws, the service is constantly reviewing its processes in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2024.
This is to ensure that leakages are blocked and offenders of Customs laws are made to face the full penalty and the wrath of the law.”
Adeniyi further said, “On Customs modernisation, NCS is engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure that the deliverable of the customs modernisations are met as the service continues to phase out manual processes with automation.
“On Trade Agreements, NCS is working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the implementation of trade agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) yields
the desired benefits to Nigerians.
“The Service has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with strategic trade partners like China Customs.
“It is also working with the Benin Customs to facilitate the creation of a new joint border post along the Segbana-Tsamia border with the Republic of Benin at Kebbi.
“On National Security, NCS will continue to work with relevant national and international agencies to share intelligence and develop structured frameworks.
“This is to ensure that those seeking to disrupt the peace and stability of the nation does not go unpunished.
“On food inflation, the service will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that business of food hoarders is unprofitable.
“On Open governance. NCS remains committed to ensuring transparency in its operations and share relevant and credible information.”
The customs boss said the service remained open to constructive criticisms that were fact base and would be disposed to addressing them.
Adeniyi thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support and confidence in him as well as the Minister of Finance and Chairman of the NCS Board for his support.
He further commended the dedication and hard work of our officers and men of the service for the achievements recorded within his one year in office, adding that some officers regrettably lost their lives in the process.
