Faith Kordoo
The Nigeria Custom Services, Area II Command, Onne, Rivers State, has reiterated its resolve to ensure continued collaboration with stakeholders and partners to enhance trade facilitation at Onne Seaport.
The customs area comptroller, area II Command, Comptroller Baba Imam, stated this on Friday, while speaking at the 2024 INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY Celebration which held at the command’s headquarters in Onne, Eleme.
The Comptroller’s comment is in line with the theme of this year’s celebration, which is: “CUSTOMS ENGAGING TRADITIONAL AND NEW PARTNERS WITH PURPOSE”.
“there cannot be an effective and efficient Customs operation and procedures and there cannot be an effective trade facilitation without engaging our partners and stakeholders that are germane to our operation.
And to this effect, the world customs organization and more particularly the current leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service headed by our amiable Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, there is an aspiration and commitment.
It’s not just to ensure consistency in such engagement but to look at it beyond today and ensure sustainability of such engagement, and to take leverage of such engagement to create a serene environment devoid of rancour , acrimony and any obstacle, and impediments that could mar our performances as customs organizations” he noted.
The Comptroller stressed on the importance of collaboration in trade facilitation, noting that it cannot be overemphasized.
“Trade facilitation is key, it is critical for operation and we cannot over emphasize but rather go underscore the necessity and imperativeness of engaging with our stakeholders, most particularly our partners that are germane to our operations.
Trade facilitation, which is primarily one of our mandates cannot be possible without building good rapport with our partners. A tree they say does not make the forest. Customs cannot operate in isolation. Your inter-agency, inter-departmental collaborations are key to our operation and our success.
And to this effect, we will keep engaging you as stakeholders, both our traditional and our new partners, as the theme of the year indicates”, Imam assured.
The command further revealed that through stakeholder engagement, synergy, collaboration and intelligence sharing, it was able to achieve a revenue of 313 billion naira in the year 2023, which accounts for 93 percent of the annual target of 336 billion it was given for the past year, surpassing the revenue accrued in 2022 by 30 percent.
On export, it disclosed that in 2023, the command processed 1,929,121.22 metric tonnes of goods with a free on board (FOB) value of 10,188,252,603.24 billion dollars, which is equivalent to 9,456,575,171,918.20 trillion naira.
These feats, the Area II Command hopes to build on in the year 2024, as it assured that it remains resolute in discharging it mandates to make the country better.
The ceremony also featured Godwill messages from some customs partners and stakeholders including; the Port Manager of the Nigeria Ports Authority, Onne, Prince G. C Zhattau, the Deputy Commander, Nigeria Naval College, Onne, Captain J. Shanu, the chairman, Association of Nigeria Licenced Custom Agents(ANCLA), Mike Ebeato, the Head Of Risk Management, INTELS Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Paulo Fogazzi, amongst others who all commended the Command’s efforts in ensuring a robust relationship, which they affirmed has added value to the economy of the nation.ICD: Customs seeks stakeholders’ collaboration to facilitate trade in Onne seaport.
