The Nigeria Customs Service has generated over N900 million revenue from its operations under the Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara Area Command.
The Controller, Ahmed Isyaku, said at a news briefing on Tuesday in Sokoto that the money was generated between January and November.
According to him, the command has devised other means to meet its 2014 revenue target of N1.4 billion.
“We are doing everything humanly possible to meet the projected target and even exceed it, all in the national interest,” he said.
He said part of the efforts to raise more revenue was the sensitisation of traders, entrepreneurs and the general public to imbibe the habit of paying duties on imported goods.
Isyaku said the efforts were paying off, as the average monthly revenue collection of the command has soared from N90 million to about N 107 million.
The controller further explained that the command was liaising with the various border communities, religious and government officials in the area to safeguard customs personnel in the area.
He said: “We are also routinely training and re-training our officers and men with a view to carefully handle arms, and to be more civil in discharging their duties.”
He commended the management of the service for according priority to the welfare and comfort of staff.
Isyaku, however, urged the management to provide more logistic support and personnel to the command to enable it discharge its duties more effectively, in view of the wide land mass it covers.
“The area command is the widest in terms of land mass, bordering Niger and Benin republics; we now have about 800 personnel, but we need about 2,000 officers and men to effectively man the vast and porous borders,” the controller said.
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