Yakubu Mohammad, Customs Public Relations Officer of the Command disclosed in a statement made available to Daily Independent.

Mohammad, a Superintendent of Customs (SC), said the figure was 10 per cent above the N165,.021 billion collected during the same period in 2021.

A month by month breakdown of the cumulative collection in January, February, March, April, May, June, July ,August and September shows that in January this year, the command collected N15.713 billion which is 3.3 percent higher than N15.205 billion collected in January 2021. For February of both years, N14.075 billion was collected in 2022 and N11.706 billion was collected in 2021 showing a 20 percent increase above previous year’s figure.

In March 2022, the command collected N21.840 billion which translates into a 9.5 per cent increase above the N19.937 billion collected in the third month of last year.

Comparative figures of May 2022 with that of 2021 shows the highest monthly increase of 28 per cent. This year N22.550 billion was collected above N17.606 billion collected in the same month of last year.

For the month of June 2022, N27.029 billion was collected showing 21.5 per cent increase above N22.253 billion that was collected in June 2021, while in July 2022, N25.389 billion was netted as against N19.532 billion achieved in the same period last year, indicating 29.9 percent increase.

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In August, N21.766 billion was collected as against N21.835 billion made in the corresponding month of 2021, while in September 2022, N17.379 billion was realized as against N19.004 billion collected during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Comptroller Suleman Bomai, the new Customs Area Controller of the Command, has reassured all port users at PTML of regular facilitation of legitimate trade, constant dialogue and prompt dispute resolution.

Comptroller Bomai made the pledge recently during his maiden meeting with sister government agencies, private sector operators, including freight forwarders and representative of Grimaldi, the terminal operator.

The CAC, who urged importers and their agents to embrace voluntary compliance, said the newly introduced fast track 2.0 being put in place by the management of Nigeria Customs Service, will assist compliant businesses to grow and in the long run build a robust economy.

He explained further that such innovations would help manufacturers take delivery of their imported raw materials from the ports to their factories ahead of duty payment and other clearing formalities.

While commending Grimaldi for its high level security and safety of the PTML terminal, the CAC described licensed customs agents and freight forwarders as great contributors to government coffers at a time attention is high on non oil sources of revenue.

Comptroller Bomai who described sister government agencies as strategic partners also identified members of the business community using PTML Port as strategic stakeholders that deserve to be treated with utmost dignity.

He said, “Stakeholder meetings with our strategic partners and stakeholders are now part of our responsibility, as mandated by the Customs headquarters and by the CGC.

“The strategic stakeholders are the Customs agents and others that are involved in the supply chain, and the strategic partners are the government agencies that are teaming up with us in the supply chain, which is very critical for us if we want to move this country forward.

“The Nigeria Customs Service prides itself as one of the most automated agencies in Nigeria today, and while we cannot claim to be 100 per cent automated, we are at least 70 per cent. And the hallmark of the service is modernization.

“The process of research and development, producing innovations and products that we can sell and our stakeholders can buy. This Interaction is therefore very necessary to get useful feedback.

“It is part of our duty to sensitize them, and through that one, you can rest assured that there will be a positive impact on the economy, revenue and society itself, and people will get to understand and know the NCS better.

“Strategic stakeholders’ and partners’ engagement has become part of our responsibility as mandated by the CGC, and we should ensure that we engage them monthly in this process.

“We want to drive the process forward for a positive impact on the Nigerian economy. This is the message from the Nigeria Customs Service, and we will keep on doing our best.

“Honesty and justice are the hallmarks of the NCS, commitment in the discharge of our duties, as well as patriotism to the country and trust are things we don’t joke with. We will not let down the trust of 200 million Nigerians that has been bestowed on us” the CAC concluded.