By Adedapo Adesanya
The Apapa Customs Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has said it generated N1.2 trillion as revenue between January and July 2024, above the total revenue collected by the command in 12 months of 2023, which was N1.17 trillion.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Usman Abubakar, in Lagos.
Mr Olumu said he was committed to surpassing the existing records of revenue collection.
He said that the command collected N201.8 billion for July 2024, its highest monthly collection in the history of the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to the CAC, the collected revenue for the seven months of 2024 is higher than the total revenue collected for the twelve months of 2023.
He attributed the success to his implementation of the Time Release Study (TRS ) thrust by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, to facilitate trade.
Mr Olomu said that the move had yielded outstanding results, which were reflected in the command’s revenue collection.
“I am optimistic about the possibility of beating this record as we look forward to surpassing it in months to come.
“In clear terms, our 2024 seven months collection is above last year’s twelve months total collection,” Olomu said.
He said that the interventions from the Tariff and Trade Department also contributed immensely to the successes achieved by the command.
“Our compliance desk, dispute resolution team, Valuation, PCA, CIU and other units aimed at promoting seamless trade have been reinvigorated with daily, weekly and monthly evaluations to oversee the progress we are making.
“We are committed to doing more in line with the directives and motivating examples of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR,” Mr Olumu said.
He said that Apapa Command handled the highest volume of trade for the NCS, collected the highest revenue, and was therefore saddled with a higher degree of expectation from the management of the service and the government.
He advised Apapa port users to embrace legitimate trade, adding that Apapa Command was more alive to its responsibilities to detect all forms of concealment and plug any avenue for revenue leakage to the barest minimum.