Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has realized its revenue target for 2024 with six weeks to spare as it attained N5. 07trillion as at Tuesday, while it has also carried out seizures worth over N28billion across the nation.
The Comptroller General of NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the Customs CG’s conference currently holding in Abuja.
“I am pleased to announce that yesterday 12 November 2024, at exactly 13:10 Hrs, the Nigeria Customs Service hit its 2024 revenue target of NGN 5.07 trillion, collecting NGN 5,079,455,088,194.38 with more than a month remaining in the fiscal year.
“This exceptional performance projected to exceed our target by 10% validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation. The achievement is not merely about numbers; it demonstrates how enhanced stakeholder collaboration, improved processes, and modernized systems can deliver tangible results for our nation’s economy,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs CG equally expressed delight with the scale of NCS intervention reflected in seizures valued at NGN 28.1 billion and counting in 2024 alone, stressing that these seizures span critical areas of national concern from wildlife items and arms and ammunition to narcotics and pharmaceutical products.
“An important moment in our enforcement strategy was the declaration of a state of emergency at our major ports, which led to the interception of 48 containers of illicit pharmaceutical items and narcotics, significantly disrupting the flow of potentially harmful products. Through strategic operations, we continue to intercept and seize prohibited items that pose direct threats to public health and safety,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Customs boss also noted the Service improvement in trade facilitation especially the leap of 33 places upward in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) rankings, placing Customs among the top five agencies in trade facilitation.
“This improvement goes beyond metrics it represents real changes in how we facilitate trade across borders. We have expanded our focus beyond traditional import operations to actively support exporters and nurture small and medium scale enterprises. The AfCFTA Secretariat’s recognition of our innovative approaches led to an invitation to share Nigeria’s experience at the prestigious Biashara Afrika forum in Kigali last month.
“This recognition culminated in a historic milestone Nigeria’s first shipment under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, marking our country’s practical commitment to continental trade integration,” he said.
Adeniyi equally noted implementation of several key reforms including; Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) scheme which has six beneficiaries in its pilot phase, carefully selected based on stringent compliance criteria; the Advanced Ruling system that has processed 31 requests, with 12 rulings issued notably, 75% of these were completed in October following stakeholder sensitization efforts.
“Additionally, the introduction of 24-hour cargo clearance at major ports has significantly reduced dwell time; the completion of Nigeria’s first Time Release Study now provides us with empirical data to measure and improve our efficiency; our enhanced risk management systems are streamlining operations; and the deployment of non-intrusive inspection equipment is fulfilling our enforcement mandate, we have achieved unprecedented success in protecting both our citizens and economy,” he posited.
