Connect with us

Business

Customs Generates N22bn Revenue In July

Published

on

For the first time in the history of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), a command has generated N22.7billion in a single month. This feat was achieved by the Cross River/Akwa Ibom/Calabar Free Trade Zone command last month.

This amount, according to the command, Comptroller Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulrasheed has exceeded the N500million revenue target of the command for each month and the N6billion total target for the year even as the command is expecting to rake in more revenue before the year runs out.

The command in January this year realised N31m, February – N126m, March – N448m, April – N116m, May – N153m and June – N440m, but the jumbo income came in July when Total Oil Nigeria PLC shipped its hydraulic machines for oil exploration through the Calabar seaport and paid the import duties accordingly.

Abdulrasheed said his officers and men have made him proud by being the first command in the country to generate into government coffers such a huge sum and promised to consolidate on the achievement in the months ahead to make the command become a major revenue earner for government.

“As the new controller of CRS/CFTZ/AKS command, I have promised to consolidate on the laudable achievements recorded so far by the present management team by ensuring that all hands are on deck and no stone will be left unturned in making sure that we reciprocate the good works of the Comptroller General and his management team by way of mobilising our officers and men in the command,” he said.

Between June and July this year, the command made two major seizures as it impounded a truck-load of rice, second hand cloths and second hand tyres. These items, Abdulrasheed explained, fall under the prohibition list especially rice that is meant for importation through the sea and not land.

The over 2000 tyres valued at N4m were conveyed in an Iveco truck with registration number Lagos XW 328 SMK and impounded at Oron in Akwa Ibom State while the value of the bale of clothes seized was put at N415,000. Another set of used tyres recovered was valued at N215,000.

The Comptroller also revealed that smugglers brought in another batch of fairly used clothes which was conveyed in a Ford bus with registration number Lagos XG 331 LSD. The goods are worth N500,000 and all the smugglers will soon appear in court on charges of economic sabotage.

He maintained that smugglers took advantage of the porous security network at Oron to ship contraband through it but said his men have beefed up security there hence the seizures made, noting that since second hand tyres pose a great danger on roads, the command will no longer allow them in. Abdulrasheed listed the challenges facing the command to include persistent rainfall, bad roads and logistics stressing that smugglers make use of the sea to bring in banned items yet the Nigeria Customs Service has no marine operations.

The Comptroller attributed the new spirit in NCS to the six point agenda of the Comptroller General of Customs and his motivation of officers and men through enhanced pay and welfare packages.

“The present management has placed the welfare of officers on the front burner, the salaries of our officers and men have been astronomically improved. Therefore, our personnel are in high spirit and discharging their duties with a lot of zeal and vigour,” he stated.

Continue Reading

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

Published

on

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

on

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

Published

on

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
Continue Reading

Trending