The Nigeria Customs Service said it generated about N3.1 trillion
revenue for the country in the last three years.
The Public Relations Officer of NCS, Deputy Comptroller, Joseph Attah told the
News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday that the revenue was generated
between 2016 and 2018.
Attah explained that the service realised N898.8 billion revenue in 2016,
N1.037 trillion in 2017 and the sum of N1.2 trillion was generated in 2018.
He said that within the period under review, about 16,049 seizures of various
commodities were made by NCS commands across the country.
Giving a breakdown, the spokesperson said 5,925 items were seized in 2016,
4,889 impounded in 2017 and 5,235 in 2018.
He said: “The implementation of the presidential mandate to restructure, reform,
and raise revenue by the present management of NCS has greatly repositioned the
service for better.
“What is challenging but being gradually achieved is the reform of persons,
especially the need for attitudinal change on the part of operatives and
stakeholders.
“Today in the service, there is an increasing disposition to place national
interest above self.”
Attah noted that the establishment of the Customs Police Unit with the
responsibility to check acts of indiscipline and other vices was fast turning
customs into a national example for service delivery.
He said that suppression of smuggling remained the most challenging aspect of
Customs’ functions as anti-smuggling operations were seen differently by many
people who still regarded smuggling as a business not crime.
Attah said: “The challenges being faced by the Service in addressing smuggling
are porous borders, non-cooperative attitude of some border dwellers and lack
of proper implementation of the ECOWAS protocol on transit by people from neighboring
countries.
“Others are use of motorcycles and animals to smuggle items through difficult
terrains.”
According to him, the activities of smugglers to some extent have been put on
check in the last three years since assumption of office by Col. Hameed Ali
(Rtd) especially with the unprecedented seizures made so far.
revenue for the country in the last three years.
The Public Relations Officer of NCS, Deputy Comptroller, Joseph Attah told the
News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday that the revenue was generated
between 2016 and 2018.
Attah explained that the service realised N898.8 billion revenue in 2016,
N1.037 trillion in 2017 and the sum of N1.2 trillion was generated in 2018.
He said that within the period under review, about 16,049 seizures of various
commodities were made by NCS commands across the country.
Giving a breakdown, the spokesperson said 5,925 items were seized in 2016,
4,889 impounded in 2017 and 5,235 in 2018.
He said: “The implementation of the presidential mandate to restructure, reform,
and raise revenue by the present management of NCS has greatly repositioned the
service for better.
“What is challenging but being gradually achieved is the reform of persons,
especially the need for attitudinal change on the part of operatives and
stakeholders.
“Today in the service, there is an increasing disposition to place national
interest above self.”
Attah noted that the establishment of the Customs Police Unit with the
responsibility to check acts of indiscipline and other vices was fast turning
customs into a national example for service delivery.
He said that suppression of smuggling remained the most challenging aspect of
Customs’ functions as anti-smuggling operations were seen differently by many
people who still regarded smuggling as a business not crime.
Attah said: “The challenges being faced by the Service in addressing smuggling
are porous borders, non-cooperative attitude of some border dwellers and lack
of proper implementation of the ECOWAS protocol on transit by people from neighboring
countries.
“Others are use of motorcycles and animals to smuggle items through difficult
terrains.”
According to him, the activities of smugglers to some extent have been put on
check in the last three years since assumption of office by Col. Hameed Ali
(Rtd) especially with the unprecedented seizures made so far.
