Customs Controller, FOU Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu (3rd from left) flanked by officers of the Service and the ICPC during an event at the Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos recently.

The Independent Practices and other Related Offences Commission ICPC, has said it is willing to partner the Nigeria Customs Service, but however said there was need for an improved and more transparent Customs processes that are citizen-friendly to reflect the government’s anti-corruption posture.

Speaking at the opening session of an event organised by the Federal Operations Unit FOU Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, of the Customs Service, Chief Superintendent of the Commission, Mary Omonoyan, who represented the Commission’s Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner in Lagos State, noted that Customs enforcement remains a vital pillar in national economic development.

“By ensuring compliance with trade regulations, curbing smuggling, and preventing revenue leakages, the Customs Service plays a strategic role in securing our borders and safeguarding national interests”, the Commissioner said.

Meanwhile, Principal Superintendent of the Commission, Hadiza Rimi, who delivered a paper entitled: ‘Nigeria Customs Service: Leveraging Customs Enforcement to Enhance Revenue Generation with Transparency and Accountability’, also underscored the crucial role of enforcement, institutional integrity, and transparent processes in boosting revenue generation by the Service.

She stressed that the current enforcement practices must align with global best practices in transparency and accountability.

“While enforcement is a key tool for revenue assurance, it must be guided by ethical standards, proactive oversight, and the deployment of both technological and human intelligence mechanisms to block leakages.

“Customs enforcement should not be merely punitive but must serve as a preventive and corrective tool, reinforcing public trust”, she argued.

Highlighting the broader objective of the engagement, she remarked: “With the collaboration of the ICPC, we are not only shaping a more effective Customs Service but building a beacon of integrity, innovation, and service excellence that others can emulate.”

In his remarks, Controller of Customs FOU, Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja, stated that the initiative to sensitise officers of the service was a commendable one, emphasizing the need for Customs Officers to uphold integrity in the discharge of their duties at all times.

“Our commitment to national revenue growth must be matched with a culture of transparency and accountability. This lecture is a timely reminder that enforcement without ethics will not deliver sustainable results”, he said.

The event concluded with a call for stronger collaboration between anti-graft agencies and the NCS to promote a corruption-free Customs system that supports Nigeria’s economic development goals.