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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Port Command announced a record-breaking revenue collection of N1.87 trillion from January to October 2024, a 101% increase compared to the N931.1 billion generated in the same period last year. Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, Customs Area Controller for the Apapa Port Command, disclosed these figures during a press briefing held on Monday, November 4, 2024, emphasizing the command’s continued efforts to block revenue leakages and optimize collections amid a declining volume of trade.
In October alone, the command achieved its highest-ever monthly collection, amassing N264.5 billion. Comptroller Olomu expressed confidence that Apapa Port Command will meet and potentially exceed its target of N2.2 trillion by the year’s end.
Olomu highlighted ongoing initiatives within the command to streamline and modernize trade facilitation processes. Efforts include the integration of trade facilitation tools like the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program and Advanced Ruling, as well as operating on weekends to ease cargo movement.
The command has also adopted an intra-governmental working system, fostering collaboration among agencies to support seamless import and export activities at the port. He noted the significance of the recent first shipment to Kenya under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), facilitated by the Apapa Command.
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In a concerted anti-smuggling effort, the Apapa Command has intensified its enforcement activities. On behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Olomu announced the handover of six containers with expired or falsely declared pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The seized containers, including unauthorized doses of tramadol, codeine-based cough syrup, and other unregistered pharmaceuticals, represent a strong commitment to preventing harmful imports from entering the Nigerian market.
From January to date, the command has made over 36 seizures of prohibited items, including used clothing, frozen poultry, and controlled substances, with an estimated value exceeding N1.5 billion.
Olomu credited improved stakeholder compliance at Apapa Port to regular engagement with the private sector and sister agencies, a directive from the Comptroller-General. He reiterated the command’s commitment to strict monitoring, noting that all consignments would undergo thorough examination to detect false declarations and undervaluation. These efforts, he said, aim to secure government revenue and protect the Nigerian public from unsafe imports.
