Apapa Customs Hits N1.87 Trillion Revenue Mark in 10 Months … Records Highest Monthly Collection in October, Hands Over Six Container Seizures

Apapa Customs Hits N1.87 Trillion Revenue Mark in 10 Months

… Records Highest Monthly Collection in October, Hands Over Six Container Seizures                    

Comptroller Babatunde Olomu PhD, fsi, CAC, Apapa Area One Command, NCS

Magnificent, could be termed this year performance of the Apapa Area One Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) whose revenue collection maestro has throttled close to Two Trillion Naira as at October (i.e January to October) 2024.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Babatunde Olomu PhD fsi who made this disclosure on November 04, 2024 press briefing, said that the command under his watch were able to pull through a remarkable decline in the volume of trade, to block leakages and achieve maximum collection of revenue to an unprecedented and whooping sum of One trillion, eight hundred and seventy-five billion, three hundred and sixty-two million, three hundred and sixty-nine thousand, two hundred and fourteen naira, four kobo (N1,875,362,369,214.4) in eight (8) months between January and October, 2024.    

Comptroller Olomu handing over the some of the seizure to ACGN Buba Wakawa, Strategic Commander, Apapa Strategic Command

According to the elated CAC, the said collection is higher than that of the preceding year 2023 of same period which has a total collection of Nine Hundred and Thirty One Billion, One Hundred and Twenty Three Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirteen Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo (N931,123,998,213.88k), thus showing a significant increase of 101 percent.

Instructively, the command also attained another revenue collection monthly crescendo, by also recording the highest singular monthly collection in the month of October, 2024 with a humongous collection of N264,455,587,792.56 never before attained in its monthly collection history.                         

It is pertinent to note that since the advent of Comptroller BO Olomu PhD, the command had continued to expand its operational scope and measures at achieving huge feats for the service as its mandates of Revenue collection, anti-smuggling and trade facilitation entails.

With confidence on the path of this positive revenue trajectory, Comptroller Olomu said the command is poised to meet and surpass its 2024 revenue target of N2.2trillion within the next few weeks.

This achievements according to the CAC was recorded despite remarkable decline in the volume of trade, noting that the command has been able to block leakages and achieved maximum collection of revenue as evidenced in the command’s monthly activities.

According to him, “from January-October 2024, we generated a total of  (N1,875,362,369,214.4) higher than the N931,123,998,213.88k generated in the corresponding period in the year 2023, showing 101% increase over last year’s revenue figure.

Some of the seized medicaments

“It is instructive to state that our October 2024 collection is Two hundred and sixty-four billion, Four hundred and fifty-five million, Five hundred and eighty-seven thousand, Seven hundred- and Ninety- two-naira, fifty-six kobo (N264,455,587,792.56). This is the highest monthly collection in the history of this command.

“Therefore, we are hopeful of meeting and even surpassing our target of N2.2 trillion as the year winds down”, Comptroller Olomu stated.

On trade facilitation, Comptroller Olomu explained that, the Nigeria Customs service management is driving a modern and paperless system and his officers and men of Apapa command are gearing up to migrate from the old system to a new system while maximizing the benefits of what is presently on ground.               

He said, “The command has keyed into trade facilitation tools like AEO and Advanced Ruling to ensure seamless movement of both import and export cargoes.

He as well said, in line with the Federal Government agenda of Ease of Doing Business, the command operates on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that importers take delivery of their cargoes devoid of any delay, noting that they also have an intra government working system where all government agencies work together as a team without compromising the mandates of our respective agencies.    

“Equally, we have a wider customs-stakeholder forum where only issues pertaining to customs alone are looked into and addressed as and when due.

One of the Seized containers and its content

“It is noteworthy to state that just last week, the command facilitated the first shipment of cargo to Kenya under the AfCFTA regime”, Olomu said.

The Apapa Area One Command of the service is also leaving no stone unturned in the area of Anti-Smuggling, as Comptroller Olomu said, on the instruction of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, they shall be handing over six (6) containers carrying falsely declared and unwholesome pharmaceutical and controlled products to the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He said that the handover further underscores the robust inter-agency collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and sister government agencies in the port, as well as further demonstrates the service ability to prevent illicit importation from entering the Nigerian market through the port.

“As a service, we owe Nigerians the duty of preventing the import and export of cargo that could undermine their well-being and security.     

“These medical importations have expired, while others are not evaluated by NAFDAC and could cause damages to Nigerians, if consumed.

“The content of these containers contravenes the provisions of Schedule 3 of the Common External Tariff (CET) and section 233 of the NCS Act 2023. Some of the contents are unapproved dosage of tramadol, cough syrup with codeine, injections and more”, Olomu enthused.

He however revealed that, from January 2024 to date, the command have made well over thirty-six (36) seizures of various items ranging from used clothing, frozen poultry product, Tramadol, unregistered pharmaceutical products, and other controlled substances, all valued at over N1.5 billion.

The trade compliant level of the command is another aspect the command have performed spectacularly as the CAC noted that under his watch, the stakeholder’s compliance level in Apapa port has tremendously increased and it is a testament to the very regular interactions being established as directed by the CGC.

The amiable Comptroller Olomu at the briefing specially thanked all sister government agencies and strategic private sector partners for being part of the success so far achieved, noting that their contributions have been invaluable and the impacts are evident in our scorecard.

He afterwards formally handed over the illicit seizures to NAFDAC and NDLEA, while harping that they seizures should serve as a deterrent to those involved in any form of illegality and an encouragement for lawful and compliant traders.

“Let me remind all our port users that every consignment passing through the NCS in this port will be subjected to thorough examination using scanners and physical means when necessary.

“We shall continue to detect false declarations, concealment, under valuation and other unethical practices aimed at evading duties, short changing the government and exposing citizens to unsafe products”, Olomu delared.