By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has affirmed its commitment to collaborate closely with the Nigeria Export Promotion Commission (NEPC).
The announcement came during a significant meeting held on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, as the management team of NEPC paid a courtesy visit to the Customs Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, expressed the NCS’s eagerness to join forces with NEPC to streamline export processes, alleviate bottlenecks, and foster a conducive environment for exporters.
He stressed the pivotal role of this collaboration in redefining exports to enhance outbound trade volumes.
During a joint session at the Customs Corporate Headquarters, CGC Adeniyi underscored the imperative of supporting exports, particularly in addressing logistical challenges.
His words were echoed by Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director and CEO of NEPC, who commended CGC Adeniyi’s notable achievements since assuming office.
Ayeni stated Nigeria’s wealth of resources, especially in agriculture and solid minerals, highlighting the pivotal role of advocacy in addressing exporters’ challenges.
Se further reiterated the importance of non-oil exports for economic growth and called for concerted efforts to actualize the “Export 35 redefined” initiative.
She also urged sister agencies to actively contribute to mitigating logistical hurdles and proposed the establishment of aggregation centers to facilitate smoother export processes.
In response to the discussions, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, Customs Area Controller Lilypond Export Command Lagos, amplified the necessity of the Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) to repatriate export proceeds.