Apapa Customs Command Revenue Rose By 65.7% To N264.53bn in Q1, 2022

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has generated N264.53 billion in the first quarter of 2022. This is an increase of 65.7 per cent in revenue collection when compared with N159 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2021.

Speaking to Journalists and some key stakeholders in Apapa, Lagos on Thursday, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim, who said the command was given a target of N70 billion monthly, the feat was made possible because of the officers’ creativity and leveraging the service Information Technology platform which has plugged all revenue leakages.
According to Yusuf the command has increased the level of compliance by the importers/stakeholders in the clearance value chain.
Yusuf said; “anti-smuggling activities has been a matter of concern in the command, particularly with recalcitrant traders who are always looking for ways to undermine the system.
He said during the period under review, the command recorded 46 seizures of various items with a duty paid value of N1, 142,876,606.00, adding that “this was against 28 seizures made in the corresponding months of the year 2021.
Yusuf said that the seizures include unregistered medicaments such as tramadol and codeine syrup, unprocessed wood, used clothing, footwear, foreign parboiled rice and other sundry items that fall under the prohibition list.
He said that these importations are in clear contravention of sections 46 and 47 of the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA CAP C45 LFN 2004.
“The enforcement unit has been strengthened through strict monitoring, enhanced collaboration and sharing of credible intelligence with relevant government agencies to suppress smuggling activities to its barest minimum,” he said
The comptroller said that in line with the Federal Government’s efforts to diversify the economy through non-oil export, the command recorded the exportation of agricultural goods, mineral resources, steel and others.
He said that for the first quarter of the year, statistics from the export report indicated that goods worth N34.07 billion with a Free On Board (FOB) value of 87.99 million US dollars were exported.
“The non-intrusive inspection regime is targeted at increasing volume of cargo inspection, saving cost/clearing time, storing reliable data and images for reference purposes and reducing human contact in the examination of containerised cargoes leading to delay in the clearance time.
“The achievement of the command which earned it a letter of commendation by the Comptroller-General of Customs would further strengthen our drive to sustain the tempo and up the ante in discharging our responsibilities.”
Yusuf urged stakeholders to join forces with the command and ensure that items on the import/export prohibition list are strictly adhered to.
The comptroller appealed to them to prepare themselves for the emerging realities of customs examination through non-intrusive inspection (NII) regime.