By Innocent Orok
The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in year 2023 recorded impressive international trade flows that leads to the facilitation of 222.442.88 metric tons of exports involving 6, 253 trucks of export produce, with Free On Board (FOB) value of N32.4billion through the border.
On the export side, the command said it also collected a total N5. 94biillon in the year under review thus surpassing its N1. 966billion revenue target for 2023.
Comptroller Timi Bomodi, the Customs Area Controller of Seme/ Krake border Command disclosed this on Wednesday at a media briefing to review the activities of the command in the outgone year. He said the 2023 revenue figure was the highest collection by the command since 2019.
According to him “The command revenue target for year 2023 was N1, 966,000,000.00. As of 31st December 2023, the command collected N5, 946,174,156.62.The above figures surpasses the set target for the command by N3, 980, 174, 156.62, which represents a 297% addition.
“The 2023 revenue figures collected when compared to the corresponding period of the year 2022, exceeded the N1,409,498,950.08 collected by N4,536,675,206.54, representing a 322% increase.
“This reinforce our commitment to ensure that the Lagos – Abidjan corridor is perceived more as a trade enabler with huge potentials for exponential growth.. We will continue to do our best at ensuring that the Command achieves its full potential of trade facilitation without hindrance.”
He added, “Under export, the command facilitated a total of 222.442.88 Metric tons involving 6, 253 trucks of export produce, with Free On Board (FOB) value of N32,448,564,533.1) . The Nigeria export Supervision Scheme (NESS) realized during the period under review was N162,852,254.56.The 2.5% surcharge paid was N60, 421,421.00 and 704 SGDs were utilized.”
In the area of anti- smuggling operations, Bomodi said the command made a total of 513 seizures valued at N1, 374,245,832.00.
The breakdown of the seized items, include 14,181 50kg bags of rice, equivalent to 24 trailers, 1,220,130 liters of PMS equivalent to 37 tankers load, 39 smuggled vehicles, 8,278.
drugs and narcotics and 9,639 general merchandise.
He added that 37 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, during the period under review.
“In addition to the above seizures the command equally made headlines in its enforcement of Convention On International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) where we recorded seizures of 152 live Parrots Birds and other animals protected under the convention, and 6,000,000 fake dollars bills among others,” he said.
Bomodi attributed the successes recorded by the command in the preceding year to the incentives and motivation given to the Officers and Men of the command by the Customs management.
He assured that the Command will continue to sustain the tempo in the fight against all illicit trade within the nooks and crannies of the command.
“Given the encouragement and support the Command has received from the Comptroller General of Customs and the entire Management of the Service, we will not only maintain the tempo but work towards meeting the what-ever target that will be set for us in the current year, ” he said.
