The Apapa port command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced the collection of ₦1.61 trillion in revenue for the third quarter (Q3) of 2024. Babatunde Olomu, the customs area controller, made this announcement in a statement on Monday, highlighting a significant increase from ₦1.17 trillion collected in the same period in 2023.
Olomu attributed the impressive revenue growth to diligence, integrity, and effective stakeholder engagement, emphasizing the command’s commitment to enhancing revenue collection while curbing smuggling activities. “Our revenue collection is good, and I know that we can do better with more impressive results in the last quarter of 2024,” he stated, expressing gratitude to compliant stakeholders for their cooperation.
Key factors contributing to this increase include:
- Implementation of Trade Facilitation Programmes: Initiatives like advance ruling, time release studies, and the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) initiative were credited with streamlining operations.
- Rigorous Examination Processes: Olomu highlighted the effectiveness of strict cargo monitoring and the use of demand notices in improving revenue collection.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Continuous engagement with stakeholders has fostered compliance, which has significantly reduced smuggling in the area.
Olomu reaffirmed the NCS’s zero-tolerance policy towards smuggling, urging individuals involved in illegal trade to cease their activities. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of ongoing stakeholder collaboration, in-house training, and retraining of customs officers to maintain the rising levels of compliance and further enhance revenue generation at the port.