The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday donated 50 computers to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to fast track its automation programme.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, who presented the computers to the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Paul Orhii in Abuja, said the donation was to strengthen the partnership between the two agencies.
Abdullahi said that though the service had trained some NAFDAC personnel, it still saw the need to further assist the agency with the computers to ease its operation.
“We have found out that apart from the training we give them, we have to help them with equipment in order to facilitate trade.
“And what we (are) doing today is to strengthen them in order to key into Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda whereby we have been given 48 hours within which to clear goods.
“But what we are hoping to achieve is six hours. So with NAFDAC who have most of the drug, food administration bestowed with other responsibilities.
“I believe having them on our side will help us to achieve what we want to achieve.
“Before NAFDAC, we did it to Immigration.
“The only thing is that we did not celebrate it and any other agencies that we feel also needs this type of assistance apart from training we have to do it.
“Why we have to do it is because clearing of goods in the shortest and fastest way will help reduce the burden on the consumers and at the same time it will increase the traders’ turnover,” he said.
Abdullahi said the NCS has offered similar assistance to the Nigeria Immigration Service.
He aid that the service was ready to assist other agencies with similar needs.
Responding, Orhii said that the computers would help ease the agency’s inspection efforts aimed at identifying fake drugs and unwholesome foods.
Orhii said that NAFDAC had keyed into the service’s Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) system.
ASYCUDA is a data collecting system evolved by the Nigeria Customs, to facilitate cargo clearance process in the nation’s ports.
He said that some of the computers would be used to implement the ASYCUDA programme while others would be used in the laboratories and offices of the agency.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.
