The newly created Kwara Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday said it raked in N1.27 billion as revenue into the federation account between August and October 2019.
The command, within the period under review, also seized foreign rice, petroleum products and mosquito nets with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N25.4 million.
It would be recalled that the Customs management had recently unbundled and created additional eight commands to enhance administrative convenience, boost revenue generation and effective coverage of the land borders.
Giving a breakdown of the revenue collected, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Chado Zakari, in a statement made available to SHIPS & PORTS, said the command in August generated N980, 000, N697.8 million was generated in September while it raked in N572 million in October.
He said the feat was achieved due to strategic policies and plans put in place by the command under the leadership of the pioneer Controller, Comptroller Ahmed Hussaini Bello, to bring all the excise factories within the command under effective control by ensuring they comply with the extant laws.
“Three months into the assumption of duty, Compt. Ahmed has started on the right foot by keying into the transformation agenda of Comptroller General of Customs to reform, restructure and revenue generation.
“The Command has been able to make changes, by making sure that its driving wheel is strictly adhered to, which led to the increased level of compliance by stakeholders, as the Controller is determine to make Kwara Area Command a new haven for legitimate trade facilitation.
“In our desirous efforts to key into the Federal Government’s policy on agricultural development in the area of boosting local rice production, the command has made our territories unfavorable for rice smugglers and other prohibited items,” he said.
Comptroller Bello, while urging Nigerians to embrace the government fiscal policy on production of agricultural produce especially rice, said the policy banning the importation of rice and used vehicles through the land border is still in force and the command remain committed to enforcing the law.