•Pledges to invest in capacity building, training for Customs officers
By Steve Agbota
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that the Federal Government under his watch will position Nigeria as preferred destination for import and export activities.
This is even as the President prioritised investing in the training and capacity building of Customs Officers to stand shoulder to shoulder, terabyte by terabyte, to build the infrastructure that will provide the best minds in the world.
Speaking at the just concluded three days 2023 Comptroller General of Customs Conference held in Lagos, with the theme: “Leveraging Data Analytics For Secure And Efficient Trade Facilitation in Customs Operations,” Tinubu said that Federal Government’s ambition extends beyond accumulation; and it said extends to transformation.
The President who was represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima said: “We aspire to position Nigeria as the preferred destination for all stakeholders involved in export and import activities overseen by the Customs.”
However, he said data was key to the economic growth of any country, adding that the absence of data-driven policy by the previous administrations failed to grow the economy of the nation optimally. “For long the absence of comprehensive data has been a technological affliction that has hindered not just Nigeria but the entire continent’s growth trajectory.
“For too long this inadequacy has impeded our ability to make informed decisions perpetuating a cycle of missed opportunities and some optimal outcomes. For long we have been hindered by these inadequacies,” he added.
He explained that in a bid to address these challenges, the government has made strategic placement of tax-saving Nigerians in critical positions. He said that the country is on track to create new world for people. The president added that the administration is committed to establishing a robust public service system that upholds data integrity at its core.
Also speaking the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said: “As we navigate through the agenda of today, we will hope that the synergy of Lagos and the customs inspire us to enhance operations and contribute significantly to the economic prosperity of Nigeria.”
He added that the service has evolved into a vital catalyst for economic growth and development in this era.