The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, on Thursday, 9 May 2024, led his team to the Headquarters of Huawei, a famous information and communications technology company in Shenzhen, China, where he discussed opportunities embedded in Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project.

His visit to Huawei Headquarters was part of his official visit to the People’s Republic of China for the 6th Global AEO Conference that took place in the city of Shenzhen between Wednesday, 8 May – Friday, 10 May 2024.

Stating the purpose of his visit to the company’s office on behalf of his team, CGC Adeniyi said, “We are also delighted to associate the Global Leader Technology Services through the Team of Trade Modernization.”

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had, during the Huawei Connect 2023 held in Shanghai in October 2023, expressed readiness to deploy some of the company’s latest products for use in its trade modernisation project. 

The CGC, who urged Huawei’s company leadership to sustain their digitalisation services to NCS, also sought their support to collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service to maintain their transformative journey with the company.

On his part, Xujing Xu, the Huawei Company’s Vice President of Smart Transportation, welcomed the delegation of the NCS led by CGC Adewale Adeniyi and the Management Team of the Trade Modernization Project (TMP) Limited, led by Chairman Saleh Ahmadu. 

He expressed confidence that their collaboration will benefit all parties involved, noting that “the foundational work for this transformation is already underway.”

The TMP Chairman, Saleh Ahmadu, during his address, asserts that Huawei is living up to expectations to deliver its mandate under the auspices of Trade Modernization Project Limited. He appreciated the support accorded to him by the CGC and his management team towards the success of the NCS Trade Modernization Project.

Meanwhile, in his bid to upscale the level of NCS modernisation, the Comptroller-General of Customs, alongside members of the Trade Modernization Project led by Chairman Saleh Ahmadu, visited Lantan Port to witness the level of automation and technological solutions provided by Huawei and other tech partners. 

In a related development, a training program on Trends and Digital Solutions for Customs officials and the Trade Modernization Project (TMP) team was organised by Huawei on Thursday, May 9, 2024, which focused on equipping officials with the necessary skills to navigate the digital landscape of modern trade.

Furthermore, the entourage of the Comptroller-General of Customs and the TMP Chairman received another training on Business Management with the theme “The Journey of Huawei’s Continuous Growth”. 

The training, according to the facilitator, was aimed at paving ways for NCS to enhance the capacity of officials to manage trade facilitation in Nigeria.

…Vice Minister lauds Adeniyi’s vision, says it will boost trade facilitation of both countries

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), thereby boosting bilateral relationships and enhancing economic growth.

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi on Wednesday, 8 May 2024 led some of his management team in Shenzhen, to highlight the significance of knotting bilateral affiliation with China, which, according to him, will boost the two countries’ import-export operations and favour the businesses of MSMEs in Nigeria. 

The CGC appreciated the Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Lingjun, for showing interest in signing MoU with the NCS.

“We know a lot of Nigerian companies and SMEs take advantage of the opportunities aided through e-commerce”, Adeniyi stated, applauding the recent exponential rise in the development of e-commerce.

He expressed optimism that the NCS-GACC Memorandum of Understanding will serve as a critical component of cooperative security and trade relationship between the two nation’s Customs agencies, reiterating that “The relationship will create a cooperative mechanism for NCS and the GACC to collaborate on supply chain security standards and enhance the economic stability of both nations.

“These are some of the many reasons why the Nigeria Customs Service pays attention to what is happening in China. As you have said, China is making the biggest trade in Nigeria, and the basic context of International Trade is ‘your export is our import’. 

“I appreciate the numbers that you gain in Nigeria. But it is also common knowledge that those numbers sometimes must take account of the large volume of informal trade between us.” CGC  Adeniyi said.

Mr Wang Lingjun of the General Administration of Customs, who represented Vice Minister Sun Yuning, and signed the MoU on behalf of the People’s Republic of China, expressed satisfaction over CGC Adeniyi’s vision that the affiliation between two agencies will serve as a mechanism for creating opportunities that Nigeria and China share on a wide range of economic issues and trade facilitation.

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over fake 1.2 million dollar notes and five cryptocurrency machines to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), MMIA, Charles Orbih, said this during the handing over of items seized between January and April to the appropriate authorities in Lagos on Thursday.

Orbih said that the handing over of the seized items was in line with the directive of the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adeniyi.

“The command also handed over 148 pieces of Unmanned Area Vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones, 112 military hardware and accessories, two bulletproof helmets and two Army vests to the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army in Lagos.

“The counterfeited foreign currencies were handed over to the EFCC’s assistant commander, Oguzi Moses.

“Also, the UAVs and other military hardware are handed over to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Muhammad Usman.”

According to him, the importers of the UAVs could not provide an End-User Certificate (EUC) from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

He further explained that one of the UAVs could be in the air for 72 hours consecutively and be equipped with arms and ammunition.

“Virtually all the drones are abandoned while drones above 250 grams are to come with EUCs and whenever we ask for the certificate, they abandon the UAVs, based on the directive of the Comptroller General of Customs and in order to foster interagency cooperation and collaboration.

“The command shall hand over some of the seized items which include drones and other military wares to the Nigerian Army, counterfeited U.S. dollar notes and cryptocurrency machines to the EFCC,” Orbih stated.

Speaking on the achievements of the Command, Comptroller Orbih stated that the command generated N19 billion in revenue between January and April this year.

According to him, the seizures represent a 67 per cent increase in collections against what was recorded in the proceeding year of 2023.

“In line with the NCS, mandate of revenue collection, revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, trade facilitation and national security, the officers and men of the command under my watch, remained resolute and dedicated to ensuring the blockage of revenue leakages.

“The command also ensured the facilitation of legitimate trade through a combined effort in compliance with the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs.

“The Command generated N19 billion between January and April 2024. This represents a 42 per cent collection of the annual revenue target given to the command for the year 2024 and a 67 per cent increase in collection against the preceding year of 2023.

“In our continued effort to block revenue leakages, the Command made some seizures and detention of the following items; Precious Stones such as Zinc; Lithium; Copper Stones/sand; 120 pieces of SIM cards.

“The command seized four drones with a duty-paid value of N7.8 million; one wooden giraffe statue and five bulletproof jackets with a DPV of N1.25 million,” Orbih said.

Speaking after receiving the UAVs and other military hardware, the GOC, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Muhammed Usman, said the gesture further strengthened the inter-agency collaboration between Customs and the Nigerian Army.

Usman commended Comptroller Orbih for his excellent effort and also commended the good leadership of the customs Comptroller-General, on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who sent him to receive these items.

He said that they would hand over the drones to experts in the Army, adding that they would intensify efforts to know more about what damage it could cause if they were in the wrong hands.

“If it can be equipped with ammunition and can be in the air for three days, then it was brought in for a mischievous purpose.

”However, this will foster the relationship between the two organisations and we are happy these equipment are in the hands of the authorities, not criminals,” Usman said.