The Nigerian Customs Service has committed to ending the smuggling of petroleum products in 2024.

Customs comptroller-general Adewale Adeniyi also said the service would block all attempts to smuggle weapons and other contraband into the country.

Mr Adeniyi said this on Wednesday in Abuja at a news conference on the NCS activities in 2023.

“Our zero approach towards smuggling, especially petroleum products, rice, arms, and ammunition, out of the country would be rigorously enforced.

“We remain resolute on addressing border management challenges, balancing security concerns with trade facilitation,” he said.

Mr Adeniyi added that the NCS had conducted a vigorous campaign against smuggling and illicit trade in 2023, which resulted in 3,806 seizures of illicit items, including artefacts, antiquities, drugs, food products, and endangered species of flora and fauna, among others.

“Remarkably, we also achieved during this period a total of 52 convictions, 11 of them specifically linked to illicit trade in animal wildlife. This is also a record performance through diligent prosecution of our cases and the successful conviction of some of those criminals that were apprehended,” added the customs boss.

Mr Adeniyi said that the service would continue to sanitise trade activities and strengthen its anti-smuggling strategies to achieve its 2024 revenue target of N5.7 trillion.

He announced that the service in 2023 generated N3.2 trillion, the highest ever recorded in customs history.

According to him, this represents a 21.4 per cent increase in the revenue generated compared to the same period in 2022. 

He explained that their 2023 performance was remarkable, given that the NCS recorded a revenue shortfall of N532 billion in the first half of 2023. He, however, said that the service still has operational challenges due to inadequate infrastructure, delays in policy implementation, and social and political factors.

Mr Adeniyi explained that measures such as establishing a revenue recovery team, streamlining enforcement operations and extensive stakeholder engagement were being taken to reverse the operational challenges.

(NAN)