The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) collected N1.02 trillion at its Apapa Area Command in the first half of this year. This is a big increase of 143% compared to the same time last year.
The Customs Area Controller, Babatunde Olomu, shared this information during a news conference in Lagos on Monday.
He mentioned that this amount is 143% more than the N421.38 billion collected in the same period in 2023. Even though trade volume went down, they were still able to collect more money.
Olomu was happy to say that their hard work to make trade easier is paying off.
He said, “We focus on stopping revenue loss, making business easier, and talking with stakeholders.”
“We use good information and community support to stop government revenue loss,”
Seizures during the period
Olomu reported that during this time, the Customs stopped 11 containers with banned items. These included expired drugs, illegal goods, and frozen birds worth N424 million. Last year, they made 42 seizures worth N1.4 billion.
He said these illegal items were found because dishonest importers tried to sneak them into Nigeria. They caught a lot of expired and unregistered medicines in three 40ft containers, and another three containers had 7,580 cartons of frozen poultry not safe for people to eat.
Olomu explained that these illegal items break the rules on Nigeria’s import prohibition list and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. He praised the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and thanked his team for their hard work.
He said their success is due to help from other agencies at the port, like Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Army.
Anti-smuggling activities
Olomu stated that to follow the CGC’s no-tolerance policy for smuggling, the command has improved how they manage cargo moving from the main port to bonded terminals. They ensure strict checks, and no cargo leaves without a proper scan.
Olomu promised that they will keep doing thorough checks on cargo. They will continue to seize, detain, and arrest when needed to protect the economy and keep Nigerians safe from harmful products like illegal drugs.