By Steve Agbota
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it will in February launch the Time Release Study (TRS), a document which aims at optimising cargo clearance processes as well as reducing the time it takes for goods to be released at the nation’s ports.
Speaking during the sideline of the 2024 International Customs Day held in Lagos, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi revealed that all the agencies in the ports have been notified about the TRS to ensure accurate measurement of the time it takes to do business at Nigerian ports.
“The chosen theme for this year 2024 International Customs Day ‘Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,’ aligns with our core objectives as outlined in the 3-point agenda: consolidating, deploying innovative solutions, and collaborating with stakeholders.
“This agenda has been our guiding framework over the past seven (7) months, steering our Customs activities under my administration.
“Moreso, the recent Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC’s) Conference in December 2023 stands as a testament to the success of this approach, resulting in substantial achievements through in-depth
interactions with our valued stakeholders,” he said.
According to him, the Lagos Continental Declaration document was a product of exhaustive consultations with stakeholders, adding that the document is presently undergoing implementation.
“Initial measures, including the resolution of multiple alerts, reduction of Customs checkpoints, and improvement of officer conduct, have been actively undertaken.
He revealed that additional components of the declaration will be pursued with thoroughness, and NCS anticipate completing due diligence by the end of the first quarter of this year.
“Our commitment to implementing these resolutions remains firm. Activities centred on stakeholders, as previously committed,will soon be fully operational, illustrating our dedication to concrete actions.
“In February 2024, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) scheme implementation will reach advanced stages. This will be followed by the introduction of the Advanced Ruling(AR). Additionally, the establishment of a Customs laboratory will commence with a workshop scheduled in Gwagwalada next week. These initiatives represent concrete steps toward strengthening our relationships with stakeholders.
“In addition to these initiatives, we are actively engaged in the COLIBRI Project, an initiative funded by the European Union(EU) and implemented in West and Central Africa (WCA), as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. This project is strategically focused on the monitoring and control of general aviation, with the overarching aim of enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement administrations and competent authorities in this specific transportation sector,” he explained.
To further strengthen these efforts in Nigeria, he said a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) will be proposed in the coming weeks among key government agencies operating within the aviation sector.
“This collective undertaking represents concrete steps toward optimising our enforcement capacities and fostering effective collaboration with stakeholders, including the specific objectives outlined in the COLIBRI Project.
“Permit me to use this medium to announce a significant initiative that underscores our commitment to efficiency and transparency in trade facilitation. In February, we will be launching the Time Release Study (TRS). The TRS is a comprehensive exercise aimed at optimising our processes and reducing the time it takes for goods to be released.
“This study is a strategic move towards enhancing our operations, and I call upon the cooperation of all our partners, including the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC), to actively participate in this endeavour. Your insights and collaboration will be invaluable as we work towards achieving seamless and timely trade processes that benefit us all,” he added.
Also speaking at the evenr, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko said that the positioning of the Lekki Deep Seaport as a transshipment hub will also benefit greatly from the collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service.
“The theme of this International Customs Day 2024 “Engaging Traditional & New Partners with Purpose” is one that delights all of us at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as traditional partners of the Nigerian Customs.
“We are already recording gains from our renewed collaboration with the Nigerian Customs, which has led to noticeable reduced cargo dwell time and ship waiting time which has already decongested the Ports.
“This collaboration also gives fillip to our commitment to the deployment of the Port Community System (PCS) which the NPA has propelled to the final phase of consultancy under the technical guidance of the International Maritime Organization (IMO),” he added.
He said the PCS is germane to promoting efficiency and making the nation’s ports competitive as it lays the ground work for the National Single Window.
“Our commitment to positioning the Lekki Deep Seaport as shipment hub to service the maritime needs of our landlocked neighbours will also benefit greatly from this collaboration
“This alignment of vision between NPA and Nigerian Customs portends great fortune for trade facilitation and national prosperity.
“Maximising the opportunities inherent in our littoral assets as a maritime nation rests heavily on this collaboration.
“I therefore wish to commend and appreciate the CG and his team for this new direction and assure everyone of our unwavering commitment at NPA to this noble objective,” Bello-Koko stated.