We will redouble our anti-smuggling drive – Osinbajo

 

*Nigeria Customs Service under President Buhari, blazing the trail

*VP cites rise in revenue generation & use of technology

 

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, VICE-PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF SENIOR COURSE 1/2018 OF THE NIGERIA CUSTOMS COMMAND STAFF COLLEGE, GWAGWALADA ABUJA ON THURSDAY 7TH JUNE, 2018.

PROTOCOLS

Let me say first that I have always been very fascinated by the work that Customs and Excise perform. I have always found it quite fascinating.

I am extremely pleased to celebrate the graduation of the pioneer Senior Division Course with you. It is always a pleasure to be also with my older brother and friend, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali, (Rtd) whose exemplary leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service is a source of pride to us all.

Permit me a few remarks on the customs service in a dynamic environment. I know that very few will argue about the very dynamic world we are living in today, the challenges are many, and usually asymmetric; there is terrorism, cybercrime, cyber espionage, smuggling of goods and intellectual property, at the same time we have unprecedented advancements in technology, and communications.

Today, there is tremendous capacity for border surveillance using AEDs, scanners with hitherto unimaginable versatility, superior electronic document processing and payment systems.

The role of the Nigeria Customs Service is also more dynamic. Customs has always been known as an important public resource for the control of the movement of persons and goods across our borders and also as an important revenue source. It has performed these roles exceptionally in the past few years.

For example, it recorded the highest revenue collection ever in our nation’s history of over N1 trillion in 2017. And this is despite the recession in the preceding year and low volume of imports and restrictions placed on 41 items from accessing Forex.

Last month the service collected N100 billion in revenues, the highest figure in any one month. Besides, we are all witnesses to the very many seizures of contraband goods, and especially arms in the past two years. It is also obvious that the service recognizes the pivotal role of technology, for example, the deployment of the E- Auction and other electronic platforms that we have seen in the past few months.

The next few years will be even more interesting for the Nigerian Customs Service. The service is bound to play a greater role as an economic facilitator or an investment facilitator.

In the past 18 months, the CG, Customs has sat with us at the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council of which am privileged of chairing and the Economic Management Team (EMT), not as a revenue generating agency but as a critical player in creating an enabling environment for business. With his active collaboration we have reduced processes and documentation required for import and export.

We are also on the threshold of launching the National Trade Platform – the integration of all port; customs processes; and documentation through a single window. This is bound to remarkably cut down processing times for all inward and outward trade, increase revenues, and introduce visibility and of course transparency to all transactions.

Again in line with role of the Customs as an economic facilitator we are taking a more robust approach to the anti-smuggling drive. Smuggling has been clearly identified as a major economic problem.

Let us take rice for example; many of us know that one of the principle objectives of our government was to ensure self-sufficiency in certain types of food and rice was one of them. In about 18 months or so, we proved that we can be completely self-sufficient in rice production by producing as much paddy as we need. Hitherto, we used to import $5 million of rice a day but today we are down to 2% of that, official importation has dropped to 2% today. We are able to produce all of the rice that we require but milling remains a challenge and we are working very hard on addressing it.

But the smuggling of rice has threatened all of that effort. Some of our neighbors who do not even eat the type of rice that we eat here are importing just about the size of rice that we need to eat here. So, clearly there is a problem with smuggling and the efforts that we need to put in is one of those very critical roles that the Nigerian Customs Service has to play and we are working with the CG and the management to achieve this.

So, the new approach, combines technology enabled surveillance of our borders with vigorous manual surveillance and active diplomacy with our neighbors. We are also working with customs immigration and other forces to take a second look at our approach to the movement of livestock and herders from our neighbors under the ECOWAS free movement of goods and persons protocol.

This free movement of goods and persons protocol allows the free movement of livestock and herders but the checks and certification required were hardly ever done, so herders could move in from the north of Africa, from Mali etc. So, we are working now to ensure that all of those are addressed, and that the protocols are not abused in the ways that they have been abused in the past. It is important for us to ensure that while we respect international treaties, where those treaties threaten our peace and security, we take very stringent measures against them.

It is clear that the challenges we have today are significant and our good fortune is that we have the right leadership and a well-trained and competent service.

This course is evidence of the realization that there are three ways forward in any particular human endeavor, it is human capacity building; it is about training, training and training. And to that i add, better pay. I agree that an enhanced remuneration structure is deserved and we should indeed pay better especially in the light of the great advancement that they have made.

So, let me end this by extending my special congratulations to the granduands of this pioneer course, in particular, the prize winners and also commendations to the Directing Staff for the excellent work that they have done.

The only real way to achieve true significance in life is by service, solving organizational problems, distinguishing one’s self by selflessness and integrity. We chose public service, we chose to serve humanity, so must do it well, with all our hearts and our strength.

Our country is proud of you and your service, and the sacrifices you make on our behalf daily and we commend you for this. Keep up the good work.

God Bless you.