• As NBS puts Nigeria’s Q2 Merchandise exports at N3bn

The desire to hit the trillion Naira mark through a complimentary e-auction window may remain wavering as the Nigeria Customs Service 11th window auction has only brought total sales to N163million.

The figure puts the e-auction window proceeds on the average at N14.9m.

The Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah who confirmed this in Abuja yesterday however noted that the 11th window auction was still ongoing, adding that so far, the process had produced 667 winners.

”The 11th window is ongoing and will end at noon on Wednesday, while another window of bidding will be opened on Monday.

”We (Customs) have generated N163 million since the inception of the bidding process.

“So far, 222 Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) involved in making unrealistic bid has been disabled and banned for further bidding,” Attah said.

Attah said that the bidding was going on smoothly because the initial challenges had been handled.

NCS in July warned fraudulent bidders involved in making unrealistic bid to stay off its platform or risk prosecution.

NCS also said that its management was on the move to reprogramme the platform to make it inaccessible to fraudulent bidders, who were discouraging genuine bidders from participating.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali on July 3, inaugurated the e-auction platform aimed at giving all Nigerians equal opportunities to partake in bidding for seized vehicles, and at the same time increasing Customs’ revenue.

In the meantime, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has put Nigeria’s total export value for the second quarter of the year at N3,102 billion, representing only a marginal increase, over the first quarters.

The NBS highlighted this in its “Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics for Second Quarter 2017,’’ released on Wednesday in Abuja.

The bureau stated that the value recorded in the quarter under review represented an increase of 3.2 per cent over the value recorded in the preceding quarter.

It stated that the value recorded in the quarter also represented an increase by 73.48 per cent over the value recorded in first quarter of 2016.

The report stated that agricultural goods export value in the second quarter was -1.03 per cent lower than the first quarter.

It, however, noted the value was 94.05 per cent higher than what was recorded in second quarter of 2016.

The report stated that raw material exports value increased by 31.8 per cent in second quarter against the level in first quarter but 206.4 per cent higher than second quarter, 2016.

On solid minerals exports, the bureau stated the value of the exports in the sector in quarter under review decreased by -27.58 per cent compared to first quarters but was 122.01 per cent higher than second quarter 2016.

In addition, it stated that Crude Oil exports in second quarter were two per cent more than the value recorded in first quarter but 63.25 per cent higher than second quarter, 2016.

It stated that other oil products exports in the quarter were 12.5 per cent more in value than in first quarter but 117.33 per cent higher than second quarter, 2016.

Meanwhile, the report stated that total Imports value of N2,595 billion in the second quarter was 13.51 per cent higher than first quarter and 9.97 per cent higher than second quarter, 2016.

It stated that value of imported agricultural goods were 16.01 per cent higher than the value recorded in first quarter but 61.02 per cent higher than second quarter, 2016.

On manufactured goods imports, the bureau stated that the value of the goods were 9.5 per cent higher in quarter under review than the level in first quarter but – 18.33 per cent lower than Q1 2016.

It, however, stated that other oil products imports value was 6.4 per cent lower than in first quarter and 18.48 per cent higher than the quarter.