Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has declared that it generated N1.227 trillion between January and July 2024, which surpasses the N1.172 trillion it collected in 2023, showing a significant improvement in its revenue collection drive for the current year.
A statement issued by the command spokesperson, CSC Abubakar Usman, revealed that the Command collected N201.8 billion in July 2024, being the highest monthly revenue collection in the history of the Apapa Command of the NCS.
He said the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, pledged his commitment to maintaining and surpassing the record in the coming months.
Comptroller Olomu attributed the success to the diligent implementation of the Comptroller General of Customs’ directives, particularly the thrust of the Time Release Study (TRS) aimed at facilitating trade without delays, adding that the strategy has been pivotal in achieving outstanding results in revenue collection.
“I am optimistic about the possibility of beating this record as we look forward to surpassing it in months to come,” he said adding: “For the first seven months of 2024, that is January to July this year, the Apapa Area Command generated a total of N1.227 trillion. What has been generated so far for seven months is above the Command’s total collected revenue in 2023.”
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He further stated that the revenue collection was boosted by interventions from the Tariff and Trade Department and the efforts of various units within the command, including the Compliance Desk, Dispute Resolution Team, Valuation, Post-Clearance Audit (PCA) and Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU).
These units, the CAC noted, have been reinvigorated with regular evaluations to ensure seamless trade and effective revenue collection.
“We are committed to doing more in line with the directives and motivating examples of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi,” Comptroller Olomu stated.
He pointed out that the Apapa Command processes the highest volume of trade for the NCS and consequently, carries a higher degree of expectation from both the management of the service and the Federal Government.
It would be recalled that in a bid to maintain smooth operations amid the nationwide protests, Comptroller Olomu met with stakeholders at the port, assuring them of customs availability for work during the period, a move that has further strengthened the confidence of port users in the command’s ability to facilitate trade efficiently.
Olomu also urged users of the Apapa Port to embrace only legitimate trade practices and restated the command’s commitment to detecting and minimizing all forms of concealments and revenue leakages within its jurisdiction.
