Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR has said that the N2.74trillion half-year revenue covering January-June, 2024 underscores its commitment to supporting the policy direction of President Bola Tinubu led- administration.

The CGC also disclosed that this superlative revenue performance aligns with the pledge of the management team of the Service under his watch to deliver a transparent and accessible system.

Details of activities of the Service in its three core mandate areas covering revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling released by the National Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent Abdullahi Maiwada for the period covering January-June, 2024 show that it collected a total revenue of N2.74trillion.

This represents an eight per cent surplus over the N2.54 trillion target and 127 per cent when compared to the figures of the comparative period of 2023. Other details show that a total of N1.4trillion  was collected in the second quarter of the year, representing 10per cent growth over the quarterly target and 131per cent over the second quarter figures of the comparative year.

It was gathered that the key initiatives that drove the revenue surplus include the e-auction platform, which generated over N1.34 billion, and the 90-day duty payment window for uncustomed vehicles, which added N4.4billion to the revenue. These measures, it was further gathered, helped to significantly enhance transparency, compliance, and efficiency in Customs processes, which also underscores the management’s commitment to excellence.

On trade facilitation, the Service processed a total of 620,467 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs), reflecting a reduction of approximately 39per cent compared to the same period in 2023. Despite this decline, the Service implemented several key initiatives to simplify and expedite Customs processes. These include reinforcement of the automation procedures, capacity-building programmes for officers, and public-private partnerships to enhance Customs clearance efficiency, which are crucial for enhancing the country’s trade competitiveness and supporting economic growth.

The Service in the review period also intensified its anti-smuggling operations, leading to a total of 2,442 seizures with a duty paid value DPV of NGN 25.52billion, which represents 203per cent rise of the DPV of seizures in the first half of 2023. In the second quarter of 2024, the Service made 1,334 seizures with a DPV of N17.6billion representing 121per cent increase over the first quarter of 2024. The top items seized include wildlife items, vehicles, arms and ammunition, foreign rice, pharmaceuticals, and narcotics, as 32 suspects were arrested and currently helping in the investigations.

“Despite these achievements, we 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, 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 Authorised Economic Operators AEO scheme.

“Additionally, the NCS has 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.

“We commend all officers and men of the NCS for their diligence and commitment. He also acknowledges the stakeholders who have played significant roles in achieving this performance. He further reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s dedication to supporting the realisation of government policies for a better Nigeria”, the CG further assured.