FG Removes Import Duty On Agric Equipment

The Federal Government has removed duty on agricultural equipment as part of measures to diversify the country’s economy, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko has said.

Dikko disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, recently.

He said that the gesture would assist to boost local agricultural production, generate employment and reduce youth restiveness in the country.

Dikko said that government was moving towards agriculture to help grow the country economically and politically, adding that “agriculture is one of the back bones of any economy’’.

“We have realised that we have to face the reality of time. Agriculture is a back bone of any economy. We are now moving towards agriculture.

“The President has removed all import duty on agriculture equipment and we try to patronise goods that are being manufactured in Nigeria to boost our own production, create more employment opportunities and reduce restiveness, so that, at least, the country will have peace and we will move politically and economically.’’

On the World Customs Regional Staff College opened in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Dikko said that the first batch of customs officers would commence training at the college in January.

The college was inaugurated in December 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan during the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting held in Nigeria.

The CGC said that the training would start with the comptrollers, adding that all the facilities provided in the College would be fully utilised and maintained.

“The staff college is going to be fully utilised; we are going to be sending our officers to be well-acquainted with modern techniques and activities of the world customs.

“I assure you, and I assure Nigerians, that structure that they saw is going to be fully utilised.’’

According to him, accountability, good ethics and good governance will be taught at the college as part of measures to tackle the issue of bottlenecks in the service.

He said that the officers would also be exposed to modern skills in tariff evaluation, rule of origin, among others.