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By Steve Agbota
The Tin Can Island Port Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N260.256 billion revenue into government’s coffers in six months.
This is even as the Command recorded revenue on non-oil export with an increasing 291,436.43 Metric Tonnes (MT) through Free On Board (FOB) between January and June 2023.
The Command also seized 519.45 kilograms of Colorado while two suspects arrested were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, in a statement, said in terms of volume (MT) and value (FOB), the export trade recorded an exponential growth within the period under review.
According to him, comparatively, between January to June 2023, the tonnage of the goods exported through Tin Can Island Port Complex (TICPC) increased from 138,246.5mt to 291,436.43mt; representing an increase of 110.8 per cent over the previous year under review.
The Area Controller similarly, noted that there was an increase in the FOB value of the year exports, noting that the FOB increased from N110,447,250,811 in the first half of 2022 to N182,333,764,943 in the first half of 2023, representing an increase of 65 per cent.
He stated that increase of commodities exported from the command essentially includes agricultural and other allied products namely; Cocoa butter, cocoa beans, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, rubber, empty bottles and copper ingots.
He explained that within the period under review, the Command participated in several symposiums to incentivise non-oil export, the Command participated in the CBN RT200fx where a lot of benefits to export trade were highlighted.
Highlighting revenue collected within the period under review, Oloyede added that the Command recorded a total collection of N260. 256 billion in the first half of the year under review.
“The first half collection in 2023 runs at a variation with the first half of 2022 with a total collection of N274.320 billion on a difference of N14.063 billion. Monthly further breaking of the revenue collection within the period, the sum of 42. 536 billion was collected in the month of January 2023,” he said.
“A total collection of N41.518 billion was collected in the month of February 2023. In the month of March 2023, the Command recorded a total collection of N42.803 billion.While in the months of April, May and June, the revenue recorded are N36.511 billion, N46. 485 billion and N50.401 billion respectively.
“It is imperative and worthy of note to mention the critical roles played by the Customs Intelligence Unit, the Valuation Unit, Customs Police Unit and Post Clearance Audit for their sustained interventions which translated to the blockage of revenue leakages by enhanced compliance towards the attainment of the revenue drive,” he added.
On the Command’s enforcement crusade, Oloyede stated that Tin Can Island Command Anti-smuggling drive yielded remarkable successes in the first half of 2023,saying being the lead agency at the Port, the Enforcement Unit coordinated several anti-smuggling activities in synergy with other critical stakeholders in the trade value chain.
“The synergy led to the arrest of a total of 1442 Packets of Colorado Indica with a combined weight of 519.45kg extracted during 100% joint physical examination of eight (8) containers.
“The total street value according to NDLEA sources is N721,000,000.00. The means of conveyance in these cases, with the substance and two (2) suspects were handed over to NDLEA in strict compliance with the Service Headquarters’ directive,” he said.
Oloyede stated that command has zero tolerance for the importation of unwholesome goods such as drugs, arms and ammunition adding that the mandate from the Service as well as the protection of the Nigeria Society is the driving force.
“We have continually put in proactive measures aimed at keeping our frontiers free from illicit and illegitimate trade,”he noted.
