By Sabiu Abdullahi
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, in a comprehensive presentation at the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMFC) office in Abuja on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, shed light on the Nigeria Customs Service’s initiatives to boost revenue generation and fiscal efficiency.
CGC Adeniyi stressed the importance of collaboration and trust-building with government agencies to meet shared objectives.
Seeking support from the commission and other entities, he highlighted the strides made since his 2023 appointment in revenue recovery and combating potential leakages.
Acknowledging legal provisions for certain agencies at the port, CGC Adeniyi assured that the NCS is actively collaborating to streamline processes without impeding trade facilitation.
He affirmed the collective responsibility to achieve the ambitious 5.1 trillion naira revenue target.
The CGC also announced a Time Release Study in collaboration with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to scientifically evaluate cargo clearing processes at the port.
Moreover, he unveiled plans for a revenue recovery exercise initiated in 2023, which successfully retrieved over 17 billion naira within four months. He assured the implementation of lessons learned in 2024, particularly strengthening the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Unit.
Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, addressed challenges contributing to the 2023 shortfall.
Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Ekanem Asuquo detailed NCS’s core functions, legal frameworks, and the necessity for accurate import duty calculations.
Alhaji Bello Shehu, Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, underlined the Commission’s monitoring role and sought NCS support to recover funds, improve revenue mobilization, and advise on measures for increased revenue generation.