‘Customs Should Focus on Trade Facilitation, Not Revenue

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has advised the federal government to allow the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) focus on trade facilitation and national security instead of setting annual revenue target for the service.

Speaking during the national workshop organised by Association of Maritime Journalist of Nigeria (AMJON), with the theme: “AfCFTA: Boosting Nigeria’s Economy for Sustainable Development,” held in Lagos recently, the National President, ANLCA, Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike noted that NCS had been overstretched.

He said a whole lot of challenges await the country with the planned commencement of AfCFTA unless adequate measures were put in place to tackle infrastructural challenges in Nigeria.

Speaking on the, “Role of Customs Brokers in AfCFTA,” the ANLCA boss explained that the Customs must be encouraged to continue in safeguarding Nigerian territorial boundaries.

Nwabunike, pointed out that trade facilitation and national security of the country should be the major duty of the Customs.

“NCS should be motivated by the executives and legislative arms of government to champion the Ease of Doing Business in furtherance to measure up with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), in line with international best practices,” he said.

He posited that government should provide a benchmark as a means to make tariffs standard for operators and shippers respectively.

“Nigeria is the only country where Customs is being given revenue target. Readily, Nigeria by virtue of her population and robust economy will be an attractive market from all kinds of goods under AFCFTA. But care should be taken to avoid using Nigeria as dumping ground by other sister countries.

“Local manufacturers as well as farmers should be encouraged to export their goods and services by providing the enabling environment. Customs should be encouraged to continue to safeguard Nigerian territorial boundaries and trade facilitations, and security of goods in bound and out bound the country.

“Giving customs a target every year by the federal government should be discouraged. I strongly believe that the NCS has been overstretched and Nigerians seeing them as not being friendly, a situation I sincerely believe should be revisited, allow the Customs to remain what they are supposed to be according to the standard of World Customs Organisation (WCO).

Nwabunike, who also is the Managing Director, Mac Tonnel Nigeria Limited, further averred that the anticipated challenges of AfCFTA should be a wake-up call for government to encourage local manufacturers and to be sensitive to unban some goods that are not made or locally produced in the country.

He, however, appealed to the government to provide a conducive environment for local manufactures in a bid for them to compete favorably with other countries in the sub-region.