By Anthony Nwachukwu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Monday announced a mid-year 2024 revenue generation of N2.74 trillion, exceeding its half-year target of N2.54 trillion by 8 per cent and beating the collection for the corresponding period of 2023 by 127 per cent.
In a breakdown of the figures in the agency’s mid-year performance report, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adeniyi, stated that “N1.395 trillion was collected for the second quarter, exceeding the target by 10 per cent and representing a 131 per cent increase over Q2 2023.
“Key initiatives contributing to this success include the e-auction platform, which generated over N1.34 billion, and the 90-day duty payment window for uncustomed vehicles adding N4.37 billion to the revenue,” a statement from the National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada, read.
“These measures have significantly enhanced transparency, compliance and efficiency in customs processes, underscoring the NCS’s commitment to excellence.”
In its anti-smuggling operations, Adeniyi said the NCS intensified the drive in 2024 Q1, with “notable achievements,” as the agency, from January to June 2024, made 2,442 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N25,520,652,942.87 (203 per cent higher than that of the corresponding period of the previous year).
Also, in the second quarter of 2024, the NCS made 1,334 seizures with a DPV of N17,564,384,378, representing a 121 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2024, the top items seized including wildlife, vehicles, arms and ammunition, foreign rice, pharmaceuticals and narcotics, with 32 suspects in custody, he stated.
Adeniyi further stated that “trade facilitation remains a core priority for the NCS,” and in the first half of 2024, it “processed 620,467 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs), reflecting a reduction of approximately 39 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
“Despite this decline, the NCS has implemented several key initiatives to simplify and expedite customs processes. These include reinforcement of NCS automation procedures, capacity-building programmes for officers, and public-private partnerships to enhance customs clearance efficiency.
“These efforts are crucial for enhancing Nigeria’s trade competitiveness and supporting economic growth.”
Notwithstanding these, however, he said the agency “faced several challenges in the first half of 2024, including significant fluctuations in the exchange rate, a lower volume of transactions, low compliance levels among importers and exporters, and periodic downtime.
“These challenges impacted the consistency of revenue collection and overall operational efficiency. To address these challenges and enhance revenue collection, the NCS implemented several strategies, including real-time system auditing.
Others are “post-clearance audits, verification of documents for the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), ensuring compliance with import guidelines, and the implementation of a pilot test for the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) scheme.”
It also “recently introduced the Advance Ruling System (ARS) – a legally binding decision on classification, valuation and rules of origin before the importation or exportation of goods.
“Other pragmatic measures implemented to increase revenue, despite a drop in cargo throughput, included establishing a robust framework for dispute resolution, launching Operation Whirlwind, reshuffling strategic-level officers and robust stakeholders’ engagement.
Commending the all officers and men of the NCS for their diligence and commitment, as well as the stakeholders who contributed to achieving the performance, Adeniyi said the performance aligned with the agency’s pledge to deliver a transparent and accessible system under his leadership and his management team.
