The Nigeria Customs Service, Tin-Can Island Port Command has recorded an impressive revenue on non-oil export with an increasing N182.3 billion in Free On Board (FOB) value between January and June 2023.
Adekunle Oloyede, Customs Area Controller of the Command said in a statement on Thursday, that the FOB value of the exports increased from N110.4 billion in the first half of 2022 to N182.3 billion in the first half of 2023, representing an increase of 65 percent.
He said the volume and value of the export trade recorded 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 138,246.5 MT to 291,436.43MT, representing an increase of 110.8 percent over the previous year under review.
He stated that commodities exported from the command essentially include agricultural and other allied products namely Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Beans, Cashew Nut, Sesame Seeds, Rubber, Empty bottles and copper ingots.
He explained that within the period under review, the Command participated in several symposiums to incentivize non-oil export, the Command participated in the CBN RT200fx where a lot of benefits to export trade were highlighted.
In terms of revenue collected within the period under review, Oloyede said the Command recorded a total collection of N260.3 billion in the first half of the year under review.
He said the first half revenue collection in 2023 runs at a variation with the first half of 2022 with a total collection of N274,3 billion, amounting to a difference of N14 billion.
He added that “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.
On the Command’s enforcement crusade, Oloyede said that Tin-Can Island Command anti-smuggling drive yielded remarkable successes in the first half of 2023.
“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 1,442 packets of Colorado India with a combined weight of 519.45kg extracted during 100% joint physical examination of eight containers.
“The total street value according to NDLEA sources is N721 million. The means of conveyance in these cases, with the substance and two suspects were handed over to NDLEA in strict compliance with the Service Headquarters’ directive.
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 said.
