The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has announced an unprecedented revenue generation of over N1trillion for the year 2022.
Command Area Controller, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta disclosed this on Thursday at a media briefing in Lagos State.
Malanta who x-rayed the revenue figure as 16.07 percent higher than the N870 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2021, said the command also facilitated a total tonnage of 6.4 million metric tonnes of non oil export goods with Free -on-Board value of $68.5million (N28.2billion).
Items Exported
The Customs Controller listed items exported through Apapa port within the review period to include; steel bars, agricultural produce such as hibiscus, sesame seeds, cocoa, cashew nuts, ginger, soya beans, and mineral products.
He said, though, the outgone year was characterised with several challenges in the economic and trade supply chain, but the command was able to achieve the feat using technology-driven initiatives to maximise its revenue collection, enforcement of anti smuggling operations, export promotion and synergy with stakeholders.
“The central concern of this administration is to deploy technology to automate our processes and procedures to maintain a feat in trade facilitation, revenue generation and security of the nation.
“As part of the command’s trade facilitation initiative, officers have been selected, trained and dedicated to address complaints through dispute resolution and ensure (that) transaction within our systems are monitored with precision and control,” he said.
Anti Smuggling
On anti smuggling, Comptroller Malanta said the command seized 157 containers of contraband with a Duty Paid Value of N14.4billion as against 102 containers seized in year 2021.
According to him, top on the list of seized items are fake and prohibited drugs without neccessary NAFDAC certification and overdose drugs of tramadol.
Others include; codeine syrup, foreign parboiled rice, syrup, vegetable oil, processed/unprocessed wood and used clothings while 60 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.
Collaboration
The Customs boss said that collaboration with other agencies of government has greatly enhanced productivity of the Command.
He said that record showed that practical involvement of agencies, inter agency collaboration, networking, incidence profiling, information gathering/processing and experience shared has resulted to a lot of interception of life threating import of dangerous drugs and various prohibited items.
Malanta expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Colonel Hammed Ali and his management team for the support and encouragement throughout the year just as he assured that the command would continue to create a conducive working environment for compliant traders.
Confidence Okwuchi
