Apapa Customs Nets N1.6tr in Q3 2024 as Olomu steps up trade facilitation activities

Apapa Customs Nets N1.6tr in Q3 2024 as Olomu steps up trade facilitation activities

By Prince Benson Davies

Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has collected N1.610 trillion at the end of the third quarter of 2024, which is higher than the N1.172 trillion it collected as total revenue in 2023,
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Usman Abubakar, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, described the feat as the result of diligence and integrity.

He restated the command’s resolve to continually engage with stakeholders to improve revenue collection achievements and reduced smuggling recorded to the command’s credit.
Speaking further, he identified the N201.8 billion collected in July 2024 and the N193.9b in September 2024 as spectacular figures capable of being replicated again in the last quarter of the year beginning from October.
Comptroller Olomu said the various trade facilitation programmes put in place by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, like advance ruling, time release study and Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) are being dutifully implemented for the overall benefit of the nation’s economy.
Olomu, who commended the officers of the command for the achievement in revenue collection by relying on diligent examination and uncompromising interventions through issuance of demand notices, where and when necessary, stressed the CGC’s zero tolerance for smuggling and other activities capable of sabotaging the country’s economy.
He said the command, would continually engage with all stakeholders to sustain the rising level of compliance, which has resulted in reduced smuggling in the area, adding that the strict monitoring of cargoes, constant profiling of port users, sensitization of stakeholders and in-house training and retraining of customs officers have jointly contributed to the almost zero level of smuggling in recent times.
The CAC urged all port users in Apapa to avail themselves of the services of the dispute resolution team to resolve all areas of uncertainty while reassuring licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and haulage operators of the command’s readiness to assist at all times.
He thanked sister government agencies for their support and stated that the command will always leverage on its relationship with them to share intelligence against criminal elements, do joint examinations in line with extant standard operating procedures (SOPs) and promote compliance at all times”

Olomu also commended other sister agencies for their support and stated that the command will always leverage on its relationship with them to share intelligence against criminal elements, do joint examinations in line with extant standard operating procedures (SOPs) and promote compliance at all times.
“Our revenue collection is good, and I know we can do better with more impressive results in the last quarter of 2024. I want to thank our compliant stakeholders for their cooperation in supporting us to achieve this collection level.
“Reduced smuggling activities are a testament to affirm the compliance we are celebrating, and I can say the best is yet to come. We are not losing guard. Our tempo of vigilance is airtight, which attests to our capacity to detect smuggling and make seizures.
“As we do trade facilitation, our anti-smuggling activities are done side by side leveraging on our non intrusive technology for cargo scanning and physical examination when necessary. Let me also state that these standards and procedures are strictly adhered to in all bonded terminals under our control,” he stated.