The Nigeria Customs Services has disclosed that plans are in places to put an end to issues confronting clearance processes in ports across the country.
This was made known by the Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, through the National Public Relations Officer of NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada at the weekend during an interactive session with maritime and excise stakeholders.
He explained that the engagement was part of activities for the just concluded CGC’s Conference, 2023.
Adeniyi made it clear that concerns such as multiple alerts, frequent downtime of CPC, numerous checkpoints, and difficulty accessing ports, among others, have been established in previous meetings as the next phase is to set time-bound solutions.
He said, “Issues have been openly discussed. The main ones facing cargo clearance will be addressed by collaborating with key stakeholders on building a framework for the way forward to these outlined hurdles.”
“There will be a commitment to the creation and implementation of new policies that are in line with decisions that are taken today, and these approaches will be timebound to ensure we achieve the wanted objective soon,” he said.
“Consequently, a panel was set up encompassing representatives of stakeholders and the Nigeria Customs Service to address the concerns hindering effective port operations and achieve cumulative recommendations, which will be carried out by 1st quarter of 2024.”
The CGC was commended by the stakeholders for his effort to reintroduce the Services’ Annual Conference while stating readiness to always collaborate with the Customs.
The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Tochukwu Ezeisi, who was excited with the development said, for the first time in years, freight forwarders are happy because “our issues are being discussed and decisions are taken immediately.”
“CGC Adewale has shown seriousness in achieving his three-point agenda by bringing back this Conference, which is an avenue to listen to stakeholders, and we are ready to always work with the Service, he said.
Also, the Deputy President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Alhaji Kazeem Isa Adua, said, “The CGC has done well in organizing this Conference and with the positive body language seen today. We should expect smooth and optimized clearance process soon”.
