The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has harped on the importance of collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
The CGC, who made this remark when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of the NPA, maintained that the Service by its statutory mandate obliged to support the effectiveness of the ports.
According to him, if Nigeria gets it right in the ports, the country will get it right in the Customs Service given the crucial roles of the ports in merchandize trade and revenue generation.
Adeniyi told the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, that the Service had some initiatives that the management is currently are pursuing, which require the critical buy-in of a stakeholder like the NPA for their successful implementation.
While expressing his delight on the existing collaboration between the two agencies, Adeniyi noted the success achieved at the Export Processing Terminal, adding that implementing similar initiatives in the eastern ports would boost merchandize trade at the ports.
He said: “The Nigeria Customs Service is ready to work with our ports authority on initiatives that will ensure the competitiveness of our ports.”
In his remarks, the NPA boss assured the Comptroller-General of the authority’s unwavering support for the NCS in its sustained efforts to improve fiscal rules and guidelines in the ports.
Dantsoho assured: “We are here for you, and we will give you all the necessary support. Together, we can move both agencies forward and help Nigeria become a better country.”
