NCS emphasizes commitment to the three point agenda

By Abiodun OBA

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reiterated its commitment to the three-point agenda – Consolidation, Innovation and Collaboration.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, emphasized at the International Customs Day 2024, in Lagos.

He disclosed that the Service planned to launch a Time Release Study (TRS) to further facilitate trade and promote ease of doing business in the country.

The new innovation he said, is part of efforts to optimise processes and reduce the time to get goods be released at seaports and land borders across the country.

Calling for stakeholders’ support towards achieving the set objectives, Adeniyi assured that his administration is dedicated to consolidating efforts, deploying innovative solutions and strengthening collaborations to enhance the effectiveness of Nigeria Customs operations.

“In February, we will be launching the Time Released Study (TRS). This is a comprehensive exercise aimed at optimising processes and reducing the time it takes for goods to be released in our ports and border stations. This study is a scientific and strategic move towards enhancing our operations.

“This will be followed by the introduction of the advanced ruling additional to the establishment of the Customs laboratories we commence with the workshop shadowed in Abuja next week.

“These initiatives represent concrete steps towards strengthening our relationship with our stakeholders to sample towards improving efficiency.

“In addition to these initiatives, we are actively engaged in the Colibri projects, an initiative that is funded by the European Union and implemented in the Western Central Africa as well as in some Latin American countries and the Caribbean.

“This project is strategically focused on the monitoring and control of general aviation, with the overarching aim of enhancing the capacity of law enforcement administrations and competent authorities in this specific transportation sector.”

Adeniyi said the memorandum of cooperation will be proposed in the coming weeks among key government agencies operating within the aviation sector.

This collective undertaking, he said, represents concrete steps towards optimising enforcement capacities and fostering effective collaboration with stakeholders, including the specific objectives as outlined in the Colibri projects.

He assured stakeholders that the Lagos continental declaration document is presently undergoing implementations, while initial measures, including the resolution of possible alerts, reduction of customs checkpoints and improvement of officers’ conducts have actively become additional components of the declaration, and would be pursued with vigour.

The Secretary General, World Customs Organisation (WCO) Ian Sauders, said incorporating a broad spectrum of voices and perspectives into Customs strategies is paramount, as it ensures that the strategies are comprehensive and resonate more deeply with the global community.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite represented by the Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, said: “It is now very clear and evident that Nigeria can no longer depend on oil alone, and so trade particularly exportation of non oil exports, and the repatriation of the export process holds the key to revitalisation of the economy, and it will engender economic growth and development and helps us to organise the value of our currency.”