The Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) has fixed March 31, 2024 as timeline to commence cargo tracking and geospatial monitoring of consignments under it’s control in Nigeria, especially trade goods that hitherto require being escorted by customs officers
This was one of the fallouts from a stakeholders roundtable session held one Friday as part of the just concluded Comptroller General of Customs conference in Lagos
Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi who disclosed the specific timeline during the meeting, said such defined period of time became necessary to monitor progress made on various subjects agreed upon and help for monitoring to ensure accountability.
Adeniyi also set a January 31, 2024 timeline to meet with officials of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industries (FMT&I) and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) to streamline the operations of various free trade zones across the country and ensure they conform with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Speaking at the event, Assistant Comptroller General in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Kikelomo Adeola said the NCS will rely mainly on tracking and geospatial technology to monitor cargo movement and use available customs manpower in various parts of the country to support the system
During a panel discussion, Dera Nnadi, a Comptroller of Customs said the use of technology for cargo monitoring is vital for modern day customs operation.
Nnadi, who is Customs Area Controller for Tin Can Island Port, observed that as at 1958 when the now repealed Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) was enacted from which provision was made for physical escort of containers, the volume of trade then was not envisaged to be as high as what obtains now.
He added that it will result in a strain on the service manpower, if it’s personnel are deployed to physically escort all containers under it’s control.
The tracking and geospatial technology application is expected to curb smuggling and prevent incidence of cargo diversion, duty evasion, theft and other forms of criminality concerning cargoes in transit within Nigeria.
