The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it collected the sum of N210 billion and processed 343,471 metric tons of agricultural products, mineral resources and other exportable products with Free on Board (FOB) value of N57 billion through the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) between January and July 2018.
Outgoing Controller of the command, Jubrin Musa disclosed this in Lagos on Thursday while handing over to the newly appointed Controller, Abubakar Bashir.
Musa said the revenue collected represents a 6.9 percent increase over the N196.7 billion generated in the corresponding period of 2017, a feat he attributed to the recently launched Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II (NICIS II).
“The improved revenue profile of the command within the last three months attests to the fact that the NCS is at her best season as far as the statutory role of revenue collection is concern. Through the NICIS II, revenue leakages and human related errors and other clearing process abuses are reduced to the barest minimum.
“We have put in place different strategies for more efficient and seamless cargo clearance. Such reinvigorated strategies include thorough documentary checks, continuous stakeholders engagement for willful compliance and 100 percent physical examination of cargo,” he said.
While also appealing for increased level of compliance to extant laws guiding export business, Musa assured that the command would continue to facilitate export trade in line with the Federal Government’s effort aimed at diversifying the economy through encouragement of non-oil export.
On anti-smuggling activities, the controller said a total of nine seizures comprising of pharmaceuticals, vegetable oil and other regulated goods including 13 containers of tramadol were recorded within the review period.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Abubakar Bashir, has officially assumed duty as the new Controller in charge of the Apapa command.
Until his redeployment, Bashir was in charge of the Port Harcourt 2 Command, Onne.
Musa has been redeployed to the Human Resource Development unit at the Customs headquarters, Abuja.