According to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), income increased by 127% in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023. This was announced in a statement released in Abuja on Monday by Abdullahi Maiwada, the National Public Relations Officer for the service. According to Maiwada, the service’s mid-year performance for 2024 showed outstanding success in the first half of the year.
“The service has collected N2.74 trillion, surpassing its half-year revenue target of N2.54 trillion by 8% and signifying a 127% increase in revenue over the previous year.”
“The amount collected for the second quarter was N1.395 trillion, surpassing the quarterly target by 10% and signifying a 131% rise compared to Q2 2023,” the speaker stated.
According to Maiwada, the e-auction platform, which brought in over N1.34 billion, was one of the major measures that made this achievement possible. The 90-day duty payment window for uncustomed automobiles, he continued, increased income by N4.37 billion.
Maiwada claims that these actions have improved compliance, transparency, and efficiency in customs procedures to a great extent, demonstrating the NCS’s dedication to quality. He claimed that the service stepped up its anti-smuggling efforts throughout the review period and that from January to June 2024, 2,442 seizures totaling more than N25 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV) were made. The result, according to the customs official, was 203% greater than the DPV of seizures in the first half of 2023.
“In the second quarter of 2024, the NCS made 1,334 seizures with a DPV of 17,564,384,378, representing a 121 percent increase over the first quarter of 2024.
“The top items seized include wildlife items, vehicles, arms and ammunition, foreign rice, pharmaceuticals, and narcotics, with 32 suspects in custody,” Maiwada said. He said the NCS processed 620,467 single goods declarations (SGDs) in the first half of 2024, reflecting a reduction of approximately 39 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
“In spite of this decline, the NCS has implemented several key initiatives to simplify and expedite customs processes.
“These include reinforcement of NCS automation procedures, capacity-building programs for officers, and public-private partnerships to enhance customs clearance efficiency.
“These efforts are crucial for enhancing Nigeria’s trade competitiveness and supporting economic growth,” Maiwada said.
According to the spokesperson, the NCS faced several challenges in the first half of 2024, including significant fluctuations in the exchange rate. Others were lower volumes of transactions, low compliance levels among importers and exporters, and periodic downtime. Miawada said the challenges affected the consistency of revenue collection and overall operational efficiency.
He further explained that, to address these challenges and enhance revenue collection, the NCS implemented several strategies. They included real-time system auditing, post-clearance audits, and the verification of documents for the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report.
Maiwada added that other strategies deployed included ensuring compliance with import guidelines and implementing a pilot test for the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) scheme.
The spokesperson said that the NCS recently implemented measures aimed at achieving its constitutional duties.
They included the Advance Ruling System (ARS), inaugurating Operation Whirlwind, reshuffling strategic-level officers, and robust stakeholders’ engagement.
Maiwada said that NCS Comptroller General (C-G) Adewale Adeniyi has acknowledged the commitment and diligence of its personnel. He quoted the C-G as reaffirming the service‘s resolve to support the realisation of government policies, particularly the policy direction of President Bola Tinubu’s administration for a better Nigeria.
