Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it is working with the Federal Ministry of Transport to develop a strategy and take steps to boost trade facilitation in Nigeria.
This was said by Chief Customs Officer Adewale Adeniyi when he met with a team from the Federal Department of Transport led by its permanent secretary Dr. Magdalene Ajani in Abuja on Thursday.
Adeniyi pointed out that the service will use tools from the Customs and Excise Control Act 2023, as amended, to ensure the disposal of excess cargo from ports.
“I have always believed that customs should act as a true trade facilitator,” he said.
The customs commissioner also emphasized the benefits of trade facilitation, including reduced costs and time spent on port operations.
He added that NCS will take steps to double the efficiency and competitiveness of the country’s ports through constructive collaboration with management and stakeholders engaged in similar operations at ports. “Nigerian law allows customs to cooperate with security agencies and other government agencies as a form of cooperation to achieve positive results in doing business that facilitates trade within the country,” Adenii said. It’s clear that there is,” he said.
The auditor also said he was determined to put trade and private sector interests first.
He added that it will launch innovative solutions that address several key issues across borders.
“We want to ensure that the NCS now has a renewed spirit capable of fulfilling its constitutional capacity,” he said.
The service will also fully implement plans to open up the port, he said. “The main issue in this case is port congestion and we will take steps to address this issue carefully,” he said.
He said the NCS Act 2023 currently prohibits traders from stacking cargo or containers in ports for long periods of time.
Adeniyi stressed that the service would facilitate auctions and possibly destroy such items to discourage opponents.
He, therefore, urged stakeholders to work with the service to implement policies to ensure adequate space in ports.
Federal Department of Transportation Secretary of State, Comptroller Dr. Magdalene Ajani congratulates him on his appointment as Customs Commissioner. She also briefed Adeniyi on the ministry’s efforts to help ports overloaded with after-hours cargo.
She said the ministry had successfully set up a commission with Nigerian Customs, the Ministry of Transport and its agencies as members.
Ajani also assured the CGC that the Overtime Cargo Handling Commission is committed to implementing policies to bail out the country’s four major ports.
“We are working on many dimensions, but after launching an awareness campaign among stakeholders and members of the port community about this process, we will see great results,” she affirmed.
