Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port command, Dera Nnadi, said the command is faced with the big task of achieving 48 per cent of the N800 billion revenue target for the year in the remaining months to the end of 2023.
Nnadi stated this as he assumed duty as the 20th area controller of the command after a shakeup in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) last week.
He said that it has met 52 per cent of the target so far, with three months to the end of the year.
According to him, achieving the remaining 48 per cent with the current harsh economy is a daunting but surmountable task. Nnadi said NCS has three key performance indicators, which are revenue collection, anti-smuggling and service delivery, often referred to as facilitation of trade.
He said these indicators would always remain relevant in the economic discourse until the nation attains full development. Nnadi said the NCS role in the nation is vast, ranging from interventions against economic saboteurs who distort and take advantage of the nation’s trade policy, which include those that import illicit goods that contribute to the insecurity in the country.
He said the command would sustain the fight against importation of illicit and unapproved drugs. Nnadi reiterated that the Customs administrations of Nigeria and Benin signed an agreement to develop frameworks for clearing Nigerian-bound goods in Benin Ports and vice versa.
He said this is a call for stakeholders to improve business processes and increase efficiency in service delivery for Nigeria to be competitive with other ports in the sub-region.
He further stated that reforming the maritime industry requires collective efforts from the Nigeria Customs Service and stakeholders to provide solutions to the challenges of the industry.
Nnadi requested the cooperation of shipping companies, terminal operators and other government agencies to ensure the actualisation of the rebranding of the command.
“I request that we respect our various mandates. Those concerned with regulatory functions should stay away from interference in revenue-related transactions except it is in their mandate to do so. Hopefully, this will improve service delivery in the Tincan Island Port,” he said.
He pledged to operate an open-door policy for seamless trade, warning that there would also be closed doors against unwholesome activities that would compromise the service mandates.
“Let me at this juncture state that in my resolve to achieve the goals of the command, we will not dwell on the usual blame of others for the various challenges bedeviling the maritime industry. No one person is responsible for the rot, but everyone should be ready to offer a solution,” he stated.
