Oyetola, Bello-Koko, Bashir Jamoh, Pius Akutah, Others Join Wale Adeniyi to Mark Int’l Customs Day 2024

…Minister Urges Importers to Patronize Inland Dry Ports, Rail Transportation

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola on Friday 26th, January 2024 joined the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi to commemorate the International Customs Day 2024 with a ceremony which held at the Customs Training School, Ikeja Lagos with the theme: “Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,”

The event was also attended by the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello-Koko, Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr Bashir Jamoh, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Pius Ukeyima Akutah amon others.

Oyetola in his keynote address at the function, encouraged Nigerian Importers to prioritize the use of Inland Dry Ports which are scattered around the country, as well as rail transportation of cargoes, in order to ease the pressure on the nation’s port and access roads.

Oyetola equally passed a vote of no confidence on the ETO Call-Up System for trucks which is being managed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) saying that the system has been compromised and needs to be rejigged in order to eradicate gridlock at Lagos ports.

The Blue Economy Minister assured Nigerians of his ministry’s unwavering commitment to collaborative engagements with stakeholders in the international trade community.

He said the support was aimed at achieving a more sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources for economic growth and development.

Oyetola noted that the Nigeria Customs Act 2023 would create a favourable environment for trade, opportunities and partnership between the public and private sectors.

“In this era of increased interdependence, customs and its stakeholders must work hand in hand to ensure the overall success of initiatives that will help unlock the immense potential of collaboration and increase revenue generation.

“At this juncture, let me commend the leadership of customs for agreeing to abandon the physical examination of cargoes at our ports and priotising the use of scanners.

“This development will not only increase revenue, it will ensure ports efficiency and competitiveness. And it will reduce drastically the cargo turnaround time,” he said.

Earlier, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the theme for the year’s celebration aligned with its core objectives and three-point agenda namely consolidation, innovation and collaboration.

Adeniyi added that the agenda had been the agency’s guiding principles over the last seven months of his administration.

He said the declaration documents reached at the recent Comptroller General of Customs conference in December 2023, after an exhaustive consultation with stakeholders, was presently undergoing implementations.

Adeniyi said the implementation of the documents would address multiple alerts, reduction of customs checkpoints and improvement in officers conduct.

“As customs do their part, we call on all stakeholders to reflect on the documents and do their part, as customs commitment to implementing this resolutions remain very firm.

He said customs would continue to support initiatives and strengthen relationship with stakeholders towards improving efficiency at the port.

The customs boss disclosed that a Time Release Study (TRS), a significant initiative that underscores their efficiency and transparency to trade facilitation, would be launched in February.

Adeniyi described the TRS as comprehensive exercise aimed at optimising processes and reducing the time it takes for goods to be released from the ports and border stations.

Also, Mr Ian Saunders, the Secretary-General, World Customs Organisation, noted that this year, customs would embark on a path that challenges them to both reaffirm their long-standing partnerships, and to boldly forge new alliance.

“The world has changed dramatically over the decade with unprecedented challenges, including rapid technological advances, environmental and health crises, and complex geopolitical and economic dynamics,” Saunders said.

He said the global customs community needs a forward-thing approach supported by stakeholders to tackle these unprecedented challenges.

“The theme for 2024 is a strategic call for action, everyone should broaden their perspectives, think creatively, and embrace innovative approaches,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said they were already recording gains from the renewed collaboration with customs.

Bello-Koko said the collaboration had led to noticeable reduced cargo dwell time and ship waiting time and ports decongestion.

“This collaboration also gives life to their commitment to the deployment of the Port Community System (PCS) which the NPA has propelled to the final phase of consultancy under the technical guidance of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

“The PCS is germane to promoting efficiency and making our ports competitive as it lays the groudwork for the National Single Window.

“Our commitment to positioning the Lekki Deep Seaport as transhippment hub to service the maritime needs of our landlocked neighbours will also benefit greatly from this collaboration

“This alignment of vision between NPA and Nigeria Customs Service portends great fortune for trade facilitation and national prosperity, and maximising the opportunities inherent in our littoral assets as a maritime nation rests heavily on this collaboration,” he said.

Highlights of the occasion was the Stakeholders Award given to NPA, NSC, Association of Nigeria Licensed Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Nigerian Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, among others.