The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated the sum of One trillion, two hundred and two billion, two hundred and seventy-one million, two hundred and forty thousand, four hundred and seventy-eight naira, thirty kobo (N1,202,271,240,478.30).
The figure indicated that the Service surpassed the the preceeding year’s revenue generated of One trillion, thirty-seven bllion, three hundred and seventy-three million, nine hundred and sixty-seven thousand, four hundred naira, eighty kobo with one hundred and sixty-four billion, eight ninety-seven million, two hundred and seventy-three thousand, seventy-seven naira, fifty kobo.
Commenting on this historic feat, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), described it as the result of dogged pursuit of what was right rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individual or group interests.
Disclosing this in a press release, Customs Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Controller Joseph Attah said: “the increasing annual revenue generation by the Service in the last three years was as a result of reform programmes which included but not limited to:
upgrade on the electronic systems from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS I) to NICIS II, which had blocked leakages; strategic deployment of manpower; strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the Tariff and Trade department; robust stakeholder engagement resulting to increased compliance; increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above selves.
Attah further said: “In the same vein, the NCS reinvigorated anti-smuggling operations yielded a total of 5,235 seizures with duty paid value (DPV) of N61,543,633,401.30. These seizures included arms, ammunition, more than 59 containers of Tramadol and other controlled drugs and 320,709 foreign rice, etc”.
He stated that, though, smuggling remained a challenge, the service three-layer security strategy continued to make smuggling unattractive to the would-be smugglers.
“While the Service continues to deal decisively with smugglers, fellow citizens, especially border dwellers and port users, are advised to support NCS by reporting any smuggling activity to the nearest Customs formation.
“Together we can protect our economy and security by joining hands to fight smuggling and ensure that appropriate customs duty is paid on every dutiable import”, the PRO said, appreciating compliant stakeholders who had supported the Service in 2018 and called on all Nigerians and, especially international trade actors, to help make 2019 better for the nation.
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