Customs Area Controller Apapa Area 1, of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf (2nd left), Deputy National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Timi Bomordi (3rd left) and other officers of the command during the Customs’ annual media briefing in Lagos, Monday. *Photo credit: Francis Ezem.

The Nigeria Customs Service has said it has over the years achieved well over 90 per cent automation of its processes and operations in a bid to enhance trade facilitation, sustain supply chain efficiency and reduce cost while boosting government’s revenue.

The service however regrets that despite its efforts to automate its systems by simplifying trade processes, most importers and their freight forwarding agents have remained dishonest and non-compliant to trade regulations, a development that impedes the efficiency of the entire cargo delivery processes, increases the length of time spent on cargo delivery with attendant higher cost of operation.

Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa Area 1, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf, who conducted this year’s edition of the Comptroller General’s Annual Media briefing jointly with the Deputy National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Timi Bomordi, warned that the service would however not sacrifice national security and revenue generation at the altar of trade facilitation.

While speaking on the efforts of service to promote trade facilitation and enhance supply chain efficiency at the media briefing with the theme: Trade Facilitation: A Tool for enhanced revenue generation: The Nigeria Customs Perspective, the CAC defined trade facilitation in terms of simplification, harmonisation, modernisation and automation of trade processes.

He cited the fast-track cargo clearing process introduced by the service over the years, through which an importer can take delivery of his cargo immediately on arrival even when the clearing processes have not been completed using the vehicle of an insurance bond, as inspection of such cargo is done at the importer’s warehouse as well as the deployment of scanners.

He however regretted that the compliance level of most importers in the country has remained very low, a development that frustrates the efforts of the service at enhancing trade facilitation, as officers and men now go the extra mile in verifying declarations by the importers, which takes more time and makes cargo clearance more cumbersome and expensive in the face of delays.

He said: “It is only when the importers comply with trade regulations that they enjoy trade facilitation, it is necessary that they declare the true origin, value and quantity of their consignments that they can enjoy the benefits of trade facilitation because we will not sacrifice national security and revenue generation at the altar of trade facilitation because what we facilitate here is true and genuine trade.

“Many of you press men wonder why our revenue is increasing, but you should also know that trade is growing, foreign exchange is increasing, the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System ii (NICIS ii) has revealed the agenda of some traders and these revelations lead to recoveries and higher revenue generation.

“We must maintain a balance between national security, revenue generation and trade facilitation because all of them must go hand in glove and no one will be ignored or sacrificed at the altar of the other”.

Meanwhile, the Deputy National PRO, Deputy Comptroller Bomordi, while speaking at the briefing, recalled that the theme of this year’s World Customs’ Day, which is: “Customs: Bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain”, highlighted the challenge of functioning effectively in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.

According to him, the event also highlighted how collaboration and digital transformation could be embraced to ensure renewal, recovery and resilience, adding that officers and men of the service have been put at constant risk in the process of doing their job in the midst of the global pandemic, the COVID-19.

He also recalled that based on its performance in the previous year, the service was given a revenue target of N1.679trillion into the Federation Account, while being expected to build on the successes of the closure of the land borders to stem the tide in illicit trade in small and light weapons, smuggling and other border crimes.

The PRO noted that the service has been able to achieve huge successes in all its key performance indexes through the diligence and hard work on the part of officers and men in the period under review and has therefore exceeded the expectations of the government, having made landmark seizures of absolutely prohibited items and other items prohibited by trade.

“In August, the service made seizures of 17, 137kilogrammes of Pangolin scales, 44kg Elephant Tusks and 60kg in pangolin claws, all valued at over N22billion. This was made possible through active collaboration between the service, US, British and German officials, who helped in tracking the suspicious shipment. It further led to the arrest and prosecution of some foreign nationals and their local collaborators.

“In October, operatives of the Federal Operations Unit FOU Zone A, seized 751 bullets concealed in garri sacks while arms, ammunitions and military uniforms were intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos in September 2021, just to mention but a few. Our warehouses in all border formations are over-flowing with seizures of rice, vegetable oil, used clothing, used vehicles etc.

“At Apapa Area 1 Command, through the cooperation of other sister agencies and the Nigerian Navy, a landmark seizure of Cocaine with a Duty Paid Value of $54million was made. This seizure was unique for the fact that the illicit substance was found in one of the compartment of a bulk carrier of sugar. In the same command, 97 containers carrying illicit, expired drugs and other offensive goods with a Duty Paid Value of N17bilion was seized”, he said.

He argued that these seizures and arrest have become daily features in the activities of officers and men nationwide, which underscores the fact they operate in a highly non-compliant environment, adding that many officers and men of the service have made the supreme sacrifice for the nation and remain resolute in safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of Nigerians.

While defining trade facilitation as consisting in simplification, harmonisation and modernisation/automation of import/export processes aimed at reducing trade cost, boost revenue and enhance foreign direct investment, insisted that the service over the years has undergone reforms that have enhanced trade facilitation.

He noted that over 90per cent of the service’s processes are fully automated, citing the instance of the Customs NICIS ii, which he insists, meets TFA criteria for the simplification of Customs Processes and Procedures while providing easy access to information regarding to regulations, while enhancing interface and user experience.

He assured that the service would leave no stone unturned in its bid to facilitate trade while assuring that compliant traders have nothing to fear while the non-compliant ones would continue to face worse losses arising from delays, penalties and seizures if they fail to turn a new leaf.