ANLCA bags World Customs Organization award for exceptional service

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has bagged the World Customs Organization (WCO) award for rendering exception service to the International Customs community.

The award signed by the Secretary General of WCO, Mr. Lan Saunders was presented to ANLCA President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, supported by the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi on the occasion of the International Customs Day held in Lagos on Friday.

Emenike who expressed delight on the recognition by the WCO dedicated the award to members of the association just as he urged them to be honest in their declarations at all times to facilitate trade.

“To whom much is given much is expected. We will take back the award to the owners of the award- that is the entire association and we will try to encourage our members to play according to the rule to make honest declarations and truly advise our importers as well that a new thing is happening in the Service that all of us need to key in to facilitate trade,” he said.

Speaking on the year’s theme: “Customs Engaging Traditional and new Partners with Purpose”, Emenike urged improved engagement between Customs and it’s stakeholders.

He said the association remains committed to active engagement with the NCS and ready to work towards achieving collective goal of trade facilitation.

“If we appreciate the purpose of engagement then all of us will work as a team. We are satisfied that the engagement is receiving international acknowledgment, which means we don’t have a choice other than to engage each other for us to achieve our collective goals.

“You can’t talk about engagement when you are closing a door. The door needs to be open for somebody coming in for engagement to have access to you. So what we are talking about is communication. Let us carry each other along, communicate, engage with one another and you can only do that if access to you and information is free. The CG did well in engaging stakeholders during the last CG’s conference but more still needs to be done,'” he said.

Meanwhile, the ANLCA President has urged the NCS to ensure that all export cargoes are processed in a one- stop shop in order to reduce delay and make the business of export effective.

“Having a one stop shop set up for export processes is quite overdue. Across the border here in port of Ghana for instance, all its exports are processed in one shop and as they leave the warehouse, they are moving straight to the vessel. This is the time, and I believe the CGC will do something about it.

“We are celebrating with Customs because the theme for this year is very apt. What is the purpose of partnership? The purpose mainly is for trade facilitation which we need now more than ever. The purpose is for border control, for synergy between government and agencies that work with them.

“We need access in order for us to cooperate effectively. Some of our information which we need to pass through to Customs may require time and if you miss it, you will miss the purpose for it.

“It should not all be about revenue generation. The economy needs a whole lot of re-engineering at this moment.

“We need to look at how we can help this economy especially now that the naira is very unpredictable. The cargo traffic is dropping every day because of the fluctuation in exchange rates,” he said.

Emenike, who graced the occasion in company of his Vice President, Prince Olusegun Oduntan and other executive members of ANLCA pledged the association’s continued support and collaboration with customs with a view to reviving the economy.

Photo caption: 

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, presenting the WCO award to ANLCA President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, supported by the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, during the occasion of the 2024  International Customs Day in Lagos on Friday.