Apapa Customs nets N1.172trn revenue in 2023, decorates newly-promoted officers

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on Wednesday said it collected a whooping N1.172trillion for the fiscal year ended December 31st 2023.

Controller of the command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba who disclosed this during the decoration of newly-promoted officers and men of the command said the figure was against the sum of N1.02trillion collected in 2022.

Those who were promoted included six deputy comptrollers who now wear the rank of Comptrollers, 10 Assistant Comptrollers decorated with the new ranks of Deputy Comptrollers, 31 Chief Superintendent of Customs promoted to Assistant Comptrollers and 27 Superintendent of Customs promoted to Chief Superintendent of Customs.

Comptroller Jaiyeoba attributed the impressive revenue performance of the command to the collective efforts and support of his management team.

Expressing appreciation to the officers for their immense contribution towards the success recorded by the command, Comptroller Jaiyeoba said, “What we achieved last year, we achieved as a team. When I assumed duty in September 2023, I discovered that we were far from realizing our revenue target so we started with strategic revenue meetings everyday where we look at the challenges, the gaps we need to bridge and look at the way forward. Later the meeting was reduced to three times a week and then two times a week when we discovered we are already getting there.

“The people we are honouring today are part of the team some of whom were either terminal heads and sectional heads. Together, we strategise on how to achieve the revenue of the command and to glory of God, we recorded N1.127 trillion in 2023.”

Jaiyeoba charged the newly promoted officers to up their games in the command’s efforts towards optimizing it’s revenue collection in 2024.

According to him, even though the target for the year has not been officially announced by the Customs management, it cannot be less than N1.8trillion.

He warned the officers not to use their new rank and position to exert authority but to see it as a call for greater responsibility and performance in their various assignments.

“For those promoted, it means more work so more is required from you and we are going to work this year like we have never done before because we all know that it is a very tall order but I know we can achieve it,” he said.

Noting that the promotion exam was the first conducted by the current customs management and result released same year, Jaiyeoba thanked the Comptroller General of Customs for keeping to his promise that officers would get their promotions when due.

“In September last year, promotion examination was conducted and for the first time after so many years in the Service, the results were released in December 2023. So on behalf of the promoted officers, I want to expressed our gratitude to the Comptroller General for his interest in the welfare of officers and for keeping to his words to give promotion when due,” he said.

The Customs boss also called on officers who were not promoted to redouble their efforts in the next promotion exercise.

In their remarks, stakeholders present at the event including the Chairman of the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) Alh. Hakeem Olanrewaju urged the promoted officers to add value and have a complete change of attitude in their approach to work as well as improve on their level of integrity as their positions have changed.

Chief Superintendent of Customs ( CSC) O. Ajibola who spoke on behalf of the newly- promoted officers assured the Controller of the command that they would redouble their efforts and demonstrate their capabilities in revenue generation, trade facilitation and supression of smuggling.

She thanked the Comptroller General of Customs for giving them the opportunity to serve and shoulder additional responsibilities.

Photo caption:

Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba ( left) presenting a souvenir to one of the newly-promoted officers during the event held at the Command in Lagos on Wednesday.