Customs generates N12.8bn in six months in Ogun

From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Ogun II Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has said it generated a sum of N12,830,493,630.06 as a revenue into the coffers of the federal government between January and June, 2024.

The Controller in charge of the command, Olusola Bisi Alade, made this known while briefing newsmen on the half-of-the-year scorecard of the command, on Friday, at the Quarry Road, Abeokuta, and headquarters of the command.

Alade, who reiterated that the core mandate of the command is generation of revenue for the Federal Government, facilitation of legitimate trade and to protect national economy security, noted that the current revenue generated is 51 per cent improvement on the N4,326,454.811.76 revenue recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.

He attributed the leap in the revenue generated in the period under review by the command to diligence, professionalism and commitment of officers and men, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the command met and exceeded the revenue targets given to it, adding that “it is also indicative of our steadfast commitment to the growth of our national economy.”

The Customs Area Controller further noted that activities of the command in the free trade zones improved and brought greater success, which according to him is evident in the monthly revenue collections from April to June.

Alade said: “In April, we raked in N 3.486,961,186.71. In May, we made N2,801,833,739.40), while in June, our revenue collection leaped to N3,564,776,499.07.

“The command will continue to put in place necessary measures to improve on the collections with adequate support from other units of the service. We shall maintain success through synergy and continued dialogue, by engaging and sensitising the local and trader communities, while discharging our statutory responsibilities of enforcing compliance with government fiscal policies.”