Apapa Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Musa Jubrin

The Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a 24.8 percent growth in its revenue generation comprising import duty, fees and levies for government agencies for the first eight months of the 2017 fiscal year despite the economic recession ravaging many countries including Nigeria with the attendant decline in import volumes.

Revenue figures released by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Nkiruka Nwala for the eight months covering January to August, show that a total of N228.8 billion was collected between January and August, 2017 as against the N183.3billion collected in the comparative period of 2016.

This represents an increase of N45.5 billion or 24.8 percent growth rate.

Details of the revenue collection for the 2017 fiscal year show that N25.9 billion was collected in January as against the N23.5 per cent collected in the comparative period of 2016 while N25.6 billion was collected in the month of February 2017 as against the 19.8billion collected in the comparative period of last year.

Other details show that a total of N26.7billion was collected in the month of March 2017 as against the N18.5 billion collected in the period of last year while N25.2billion was collected in the month of April 2017 as against the N19.3billion collected in the corresponding period of last year.

The command however made its highest revenue generation within the period when it collected N33.6billion in May, 2017, which is almost double of the N17.2billion collected in the comparative period of 2016 while N29.5billion was collected in June 2017 as against the N22.8billion collected in June, 2016.

Similarly, a total of N30.9billion and N32.1billion was collected for the months of July and August 2017, respectively as against the N27.4 billion and N34.9 billion respectively for the months of July and August 2016.

This brings to a total of N228.8billion for the first eight months of 2017 as against the N183.3billion for the corresponding of last year, which represents an increase of N45.5billion or 24.8 percent.

Meanwhile the Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa command, Comptroller Musa Jubrin, who commented on the impressive revenue performance despite the dwindling economic fortunes,  attributed it partly to some measures put in place by the command, which include blocking revenue leakages by ensuring that all collectible revenue due to the government.

It was also gathered that in line with this measure, the commands subjects most of the consignments to 100 percent physical examination, especially in the face of broken down scanners, which has led to discoveries of concealments and under-declaration of consignments, which have contributed to higher revenue collections.

Other measures put in place, according to the Comptroller is the training and re-training of officers and men of the command as well as keeping a tab on them, which has led to the collection of maximum revenue to the government.

The CAC pledged that the command would continue to maintain its flagship position not only in revenue collection but also facilitating trade and ease of doing business in the country.