Nigeria Customs Service generated a total of N1.34 trillion revenue for the government in the 2019 fiscal year.

Public Relations Officer, NCS, Mr Joseph Attah, confirmed the figure in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.

The N1.34 trillion revenue generated by Customs represents an increase of N403.72bn over the N937.28bn target which the Federal Government had set for the service in the 2019 fiscal period.

The revenue collection of N1.34tn in 2019 is also N139.24bn higher than the N1.2tn which the service generated in 2018.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Hameed Ali said the service was able to achieve the result by vigorously implementing series of reforms.

The reforms included the strategic deployment of officers strictly using the standard operating procedure, strict enforcement of extant guidelines and automation of the Customs process.

It also engaged in stakeholder sensitisation resulting in voluntary compliance and increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above selfish interests.

The Customs boss said the service was resolute in the pursuit of what was right rather than what was popular.

He said the revenue generation profile of Customs had been increasing annually as a result of the reforms.

Ali also said the partial border closure which had forced cargoes that could have been smuggled through the porous borders to go through the sea and airports also raised revenue collection from ports.

Before the commencement of the border drill on August 20, 2019, revenue generation was between N4bn and N5bn daily.

However, after the border was partially shut, the NCS began to generate between N5bn and N7bn daily.

The partial border closure, according to the statement from Customs, is a decisive action against the challenging issue of trans-border crime and criminalities fuelled by non-compliance with ECOWAS Protocol on transit of goods by neighbouring countries.

The statement added, “NCS hopes that the ongoing discussions with our neighbours will yield permanent solution to the challenges of border security.

“The service wishes to express its readiness to strictly implement the outcome of the ongoing diplomatic engagements.”

NCS also said that it had seized 30,906 smuggled items with duty paid value of N62.13 billion.

The items seized included arms and ammunitions, illicit drugs, used clothing, vegetable oil, frozen poultry and foreign rice.

These items, according to the service, would have had grave consequences on the economy, security and wellbeing of Nigerians if they were not prevented from getting into the country

The service assured of its total commitment to the course of nation building and urged Nigerians to support ongoing drive to contribute to national security.

It said with the support of Nigerians, the government would be able to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

Punch