By Chinonye Anyatonwu
Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) hits record by recording an unprecedented revenue generation of N1,022,530,523,699 in the year 2022.
According to the customs area controller of the command, Compt. Yusuf Malanta, the 2022 revenue figure is 16.07% higher than N870,388,340,650 collected in 2021
He also noted that non-oil exports facilitated through the Command was 6.4million metric tonnes.
“On export trade, in line with the Federal Government diversification of the economy in non-oil export, the command recorded a total of $68.5 million Free onboard (FOB) value with a naira equivalent of N28.2 billion of non- oil commodities with a total tonnage of 6.4 million Metric tonnes exported through Apapa port.”
“Items exported through Apapa Port last year 2022 include steel bars, agricultural produce such hibiscus, sesame seeds, cocoa, cashew nuts, ginger, soya beans, and mineral products,” he said.
Malanta stressed that collaboration with other agencies of government has greatly enhanced productivity of the Command, adding that record shows that practical involvement of agencies, inter agency collaboration, networking, incidence profiling, information gathering/processing and experience shared has resulted to a lot of interception of life threating import of dangerous drugs and various prohibited items.
He noted that the year 2022 was characterised with several challenges in the economic and trade supply chain, he expressed delight that the command was able to make some laudable achievement using technology-driven initiatives to maximise revenue collection, enforcement of anti-smuggling operations, export promotion and synergy with our noble stakeholders in the industry.
In the year under review, a total number of one hundred and fifty-seven (157) containers with a duty paid value (DPV) of N14.4 billion were seized, under anti- smuggling as against 102 containers with DPV of N31.8 billion seized in the year 2021.
Items seized by the Command include codeine syrup, foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil, processed/unprocessed wood, used clothing’s, etc, and 60 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.
Comptroller Malanta thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (Rtd) and his management team for robust support throughout the year, even as he encouraged freight agents to pay accurate duty and obey extant import and export guidelines.
