How Customs is Making Lekki Port Attractive to Users
...Our N238b Collection is Starting Point, We'll Do More - Customs PRO
In addition to it’s top notch private sector investment with federal and Lagos State governments stake in the Lekki Deep Seaport Project, the Nigeria Customs has taken the lead in promoting trade facilitation through seamless clearance relying on technology backed with competent personnel .
Comptroller Olanrewaju Olumoh, Customs Area Controller of the Lagos Free Zone Command, overseeing Lekki Port is fast making the investors dream come through sign signposts Nigeria as a country ready for more global trade.
Findings by JournalNG indicate increasing volume of trade stemming from robust stakeholders achievement which has resulted in speedy trade dispute resolution.
Positive fallouts from these efforts include the generation of N238 billion as customs revenue collection as at September 2024 which translates to an average of N26.4b monthly with with promising prospects for more collections as the days run by.
Olumoh’s usual periodic stakeholder engagement with the Port users addresses concerns relating to their jobs. There is also strategic sessions with the port owners and other government agencies to sustain and build up the degree of compliance.
Compliance has been viewed as the command’s magic wand for success requiring everyone’s cooperation and being in tandem of the Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General of Customs leadership thrust for the service.
Speaking to our reporter on the third quarter performance of the command, Abdullahi Lagos, Customs Public Relations Officer gave in insight on their upward journey which entails the a combination of competent customs workforce applying modern procedures in Nigeria’s flagship deep seaport.
Abdullahi, a Superintendent of Customs, said there is a sustained tempo of no delay of zero delay for compliant cargoes transiting through the port
According to him, Comptroller Olumoh ensures trade disputes arising from technical or other issues are promptly addressed within hours, leaving no room for trapped or delayed cargoes as may have been wrongly portrayed by an uniformed reported spotted in the media recently
According to him “Nigeria Customs Service is a critical contributor to the growing success story of the Lagos Free Zone which covers the Lekki Deepsea Port. You are aware that the port is by all standard ranking among the best in the West African sub region
“This has been widely attested to by our stakeholders, local and foreign observers and everyone who has had the opportunity of visiting the facility to see customs operation at work giving the best of cargo examination to ensure due diligence, collect accurate revenue with our eagle eyes on the watch to prevent smuggling
“Last year,Lekki Port inaugurated a state-of-the-art scanning facility to fast-track cargo examination & evacuation. The essence of this is not lost on the Nigeria Customs,our well trained ICT officers are making the best use of this and other modern facilities fitted into the port . Our service is part of the ongoing Lekki Port success story” Abdullahi told our reporter
JournalNG reporter recalled the the first-ever Lekki Port & Lekki Freeport Terminal 2024 Roadshow took place at Rockview Hotel, Apapa on Thursday, February 1st, 2024, in conjunction with the Nigerian Customs Service
The port’s beehive of maritime activities which always featured customs cooperation has shown impressive ship calls and one of the fastest vessel turn around time without delays including quicker release of cargoes to importers and agents. Showing no delayed consignment as at the time of writing this report
The arrival ceremony of the CMA CGM SCANDOLA, the largest LNG-powered container vessel to berth in Nigerian waters took place at Lekki Port on Monday, 29th January 2024.
