ANLCA President Applauds Customs for Surpassing 2024 Revenue Target, Calls for Chekpoints Streamlining

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Emenike Nwokeoji, has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for exceeding its 2024 revenue target. Speaking at the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference in Abuja on Thursday, Nwokeoji hailed the achievement as a testament to the agency’s dedication to fiscal responsibility.

Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi had earlier announced at the conference that the NCS had collected ₦5.079 trillion as of November 12, 2024, surpassing its target for the year.

“On behalf of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, we are sharing this success with you. Your happiness is ours because every kobo that was generated was declared by a licensed customs agent. If there are any infractions in these declarations, the first person to bear the brunt is the licensed agent, whose practicing license would be suspended.” He said

Nwokeoji emphasized the critical role of customs agents in revenue generation and trade facilitation, referencing the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. “The Act recognizes us as customs representatives. We are here representing you and helping in trade facilitation and revenue generation,” he stated.

While celebrating the Customs’ revenue milestone, Nwokeoji also urged the agency to address the issue of multiple checkpoints on port access roads, which he argued undermines efficiency and tarnishes the NCS’s image.

“Stepping out of the Tin Can Island Port and getting to Mile 2 flyover, you pass through two FOU unit checkpoints,” he said. “Meanwhile, there is no interception before getting there. This duplication of efforts is not good for the image of the service, and we need to do something about it.”

Nwokeoji recounted efforts made during his tenure as ANLCA’s National Vice President to streamline checkpoints. “We wrote to the President then, and the Federal Government published the approved Customs checkpoints nationwide. If more have been added, we would like to know so we can advise our truckers on what to expect on the roads,” he said.

He stressed that reducing checkpoints would benefit inland bonded terminals and improve the overall efficiency of the supply chain.

Nwokeoji praised the CGC for organizing training sessions for clearing agents across the zones and called for more initiatives to ensure Customs and agents operate in alignment.

“We appreciate the CG for the ongoing training programs. However, we request more of such sessions to ensure customs officers and agents are on the same page,” he said.

The ANLCA president also proposed the creation of a dedicated forum for resolving grievances between Customs and agents. “We need a platform where agents and Customs can discuss and iron out their grievances in-house,” he suggested, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to foster mutual understanding and efficiency in operations.