Comptroller Kolade’s Strategic Vision Yields Impressive Results: Seme Border Customs Revenue Soars

Comptroller Kolade’s Strategic Vision Yields Impressive Results: Seme Border Customs Revenue Soars

By Prince Benson Davies

Comptroller Kayode Kolade of the Seme-Krake Border Customs Command has made history by surpassing the command’s 2024 revenue target. In just three months, the command’s revenue collection soared from N4.6 billion to N7.1 billion, representing a 55% increase for the year 2024. This remarkable achievement underscores Comptroller Kolade’s leadership prowess and commitment to driving revenue growth while he was decorating about 135 officers of the command who were promoted recently by the customs service; among them is the command spokesman Abdullah Hussein Onawo.
The decoration, alongside a free medical check-up for Officers, stakeholders and travellers, was part of the activities to mark the International Customs Day celebration at the command headquarters Seme.

Addressing the gathering on the command’s revenue performance for 2024, the anti-smuggling czar said, “The command, as of 31st December 2024, collected a total of N7, 166,576, 397.49 only, representing 80% of the target performance. These figures are higher than (N5, 885, 697, 334. 62 were only collected in the corresponding period of 2023. This amount saw an upward increase of N1, 280, 879, and 062.87 only, equivalent to a 21.7% increase.”

In trade facilitation, Compt Kolade stated that the Seme Command Export seat in 2024 facilitated a total of 306, 039. 57 metric tons, equivalent to 8,487 trucks of export produce for the 2024 fiscal year with a free on board (FOB) value of N77,8 billion, comparable to $76, 687, 873.81.

The Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) paid for the year, according to him, was N387,875,923.43 only, while the surcharge paid during the 2024 fiscal year was N87,446,397.00 only.

Comptroller Kolade discussed the success of the anti-smugging operation, stating that “the enforcement unit of the Command has sustained surveillance of our border against the illicit activities of the daredevil smugglers.

“This onslaught translates into nine hundred and twenty-one (921) numbers of interceptions consisting of various contraband items for the year 2024. These items include the following:

PMS: 40, 671 X 30 liters Jerry cans are equivalent to 37 Tanker loads.
—Rice: 11, 569 bags of SOkg, each equivalent to 19 trailer loads.
24 used vehicles and means of conveyance.

1934 parcels of hard drugs and narcotics, among others.

“The duty paid value of these items stood at N1,895,175,942.00 only. Forty-eight (48) suspects were arrested in connection with various seizures during the period under review.
“Additionally, let me also inform you that the Command also won an award as the best Land Border Command in Trade Facilitation during the CGC Excellent Awards Night at Abuja on November 29, 2024.

This award is a recognition of modest contributions at the Seme Command for always striving for excellence. I thanked the CGC and his management team for this recognition and assured him that the Command will continue to project a good image of the service and the Country as a frontier for trade in West and Central African regions, he said

In his remarks to the newly elevated officers of the command, Compt. Kolade said The elevation is not only a reward for your testament to your unwavering commitment to the value of courage, integrity, and professionalism that our organization hold dear.