…To bolster air Surveillance Efforts 

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has taken a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria Customs Service air surveillance capabilities, acquiring a Cessna Grand Caravan EX-208B. 

The newly acquired aircraft which was inspected on Friday, 20 September 2024, in Bartlesville, Washington, USA, marked a pivotal moment for the NCS Air-wing operations.

Registered as 5N-BAA, the aircraft was scheduled to enhance the Service’s air patrol and surveillance efforts.

Powered by the reliable PT6 Pratt and Whitney engine, the Cessna Grand Caravan is globally recognised for its rugged versatility, short-field take-off and landing capabilities, and ability to operate on remote airstrips—making it ideally suited for border security operations in Nigeria.

The CGC, Adeniyi emphasized the importance of this acquisition, noting that the aircraft is fitted with the modern Garmin G1000 Avionics cockpit system, enabling operations under day, night, and low-visibility conditions. 

“With this aircraft, we will strengthen our air border patrol capabilities, which will not only help us intercept illegal activities but also provide quick extraction support when necessary” 

“This aircraft will be a game-changer for the Nigeria Customs Services’ Air-wing. Its ability to carry 10 officers, coupled with its six-hour aerial endurance, will significantly enhance our capacity for air surveillance and border patrol,” CGC Adeniyi stated.

The Cessna Grand Caravan will play a crucial role in air patrols aimed at detecting smuggling routes, deploying armed personnel, and providing swift support for ground operations. 

“With this aircraft, we will strengthen our air border patrol capabilities, which will not only help us intercept illegal activities but also provide quick extraction support when necessary,” CGC Adeniyi explained, aligning the move with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.

“This is a long-term investment for the Service that not only enhances our operational efficiency but also contributes to the sustainability of our air surveillance programs”

Additionally, the aircraft will serve as a strategic asset for Nigeria Customs Technical and Hangar Services Ltd, offering logistical support and revenue generation.

CGC Adeniyi underscored the cost-efficiency of the Cessna Grand Caravan, noting that its operational costs are relatively low compared to other aircraft in its class. 

“This is a long-term investment for the Service that not only enhances our operational efficiency but also contributes to the sustainability of our air surveillance programs,” he added.

Capt. Kuhi Mbaya, the Aircraft Operations Coordinator and Managing Director of Nigeria Customs Technical and Hangar Services Ltd, lauded the acquisition as a milestone for the NCS aviation unit.

“With this aircraft, the Nigeria Customs Service is poised to revitalize its air border patrol activities, securing our borders more effectively and improving revenue generation for both the Service and the nation,” Capt. Mbaya remarked.

The acquisition of the Cessna Grand Caravan is expected to provide significant tactical advantages to the Nigeria Customs Service, tightening border security, and sending a clear signal to economic saboteurs that the Service is better equipped than ever to combat smuggling activities.

…Thanks CGC, Abuja Management for the right motivation, enabling environment 

Focused commitment to trade facilitation and diligent oversight has earned the Apapa Port Customs Command the enablement to collect an impressive N1.61 trillion in revenue, between January and the end of the third quarter of 2024. 

The figures represent a significant increase of the total collection of N1.17 trillion collected, throughout 2023.

The Apapa Command’s Area Controller, Babatunde Olomu highlighted this success, noting that the feat stems from the combined efforts of integrity and due diligence within the Command. 

He emphasized the ongoing engagement with stakeholders as a key strategy for improving revenue generation and further reducing smuggling, identifying these as major areas, where the Command had already achieved remarkable progress.

Comptroller Olomu highlighted July’s collection of N201.8 billion and September’s N193.9 billion as standout figures and expressed optimism that such performance would be repeated in the final quarter of the year.

He particularly credited the various trade facilitation programs spearheaded by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, identifying Initiatives which included the advance ruling system, time release studies, and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) program as being thoroughly implemented, to support the nation’s economic rapid growth.

He commended the officers for their commitment to diligent examinations and effective interventions and reiterated the NCS’s zero-tolerance stance on smuggling. 

The Controller acknowledged that the Command’s strict monitoring of cargo, profiling of port users, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing training of officers have collectively led to a sharp decline in smuggling activities.

Addressing the port users, he encouraged them to use the dispute resolution team to address any uncertainties and reassured stakeholders, particularly the licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters, and haulage operators, of the Command’s readiness to timely attend to their needs.

Olomu specially expressed gratitude to sister government agencies for their collaboration, which he maintained, actually helped in enhancing intelligence sharing and conducting joint inspections, all in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

“Our revenue collection is good, and I know we can do better with more impressive results in the last quarter of 2024. I want to thank our compliant stakeholders for their cooperation in supporting us to achieve this level of collection. 

“Reduced smuggling activities is a testament to affirm the compliance we are celebrating, and I can say the best is yet to come. We are not losing guard. Our tempo of vigilance is airtight, which attests to our capacity to detect smuggling and seizures. 

“As we do trade facilitation, our anti-smuggling activities are done side by side, leveraging on our non-intrusive technology for cargo scanning and physical examination when necessary. 

“Let me also state that these standards and procedures are strictly adhered to in all bonded terminals under our control,” Comptroller Olomu further stressed.

There was wild jubilation across Customs formations nationwide when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the appointment of Mr Wale Adeniyi as the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service in June last year. Wale Adeniyi’s emergence as the new helmsman of the Service ended the infamous eight-year regime of Hameed Ali which will go down in history as the most repressive in the over 100-year history of the Service.

For eight years, Hameed Ali ran the Customs as if it were a military cantonment. Under him, the fear of Hameed Ali was the beginning of wisdom. Management meetings were usually one-sided as most officers were afraid to trade opinions that would elicit his wrath. As one observer disclosed, the Hameed Ali days were the darkest moments in the history of Nigeria Customs as officers and the rank and file worked under perpetual fear.
His high-handedness and arrogance also manifested in his relationship with the National Assembly as well as his supervising Minister of Finance. These and many more unsavoury conducts of Hameed Ali may have prompted the National Assembly, in the dying days of the Buhari Administration, to come up with an amendment to the Customs and Excise Act (CEMA) which now makes it mandatory for only career officers to be appointed as Comptroller General of Customs. On assumption of duty, Wale Adeniyi, himself a former spokesman of the Service, realized he had much to do to change public perception and confidence building between critical stakeholders and officers.

Such engagements took him to the National Security Adviser, the Police, the Army, the Navy, freight forwarders and Customs brokers amongst others. Since he assumed duties, Mr Adeniyi has broken every record or target he met on ground. From revenue generation to suppression of smuggling, he has continued to carry the banner of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda sky high. As it stands, and with every sense of responsibility, it will be difficult for any head of MDA to surpass the heights so far achieved by CGC Wale Adeniyi within just one year of his emergence as helmsman of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Below are the 12 most Outstanding milestones of Mr Adeniyi since his appointment in June last year
1. Surpassing Revenue Generation Targets
– The NCS, under CGC Adeniyi’s leadership, collected NGN 2.74 trillion in the first half of 2024, exceeding the half-year revenue target by eight per cent and achieving a remarkable 127 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
2. Introduction of Time Release Study
– The WCO Time Release Study is a strategic and internationally recognised tool to measure the actual time taken for the release or clearance of goods, from the time of arrival until the physical delivery of cargo.
3. Intensified Anti-Smuggling Operations
– The NCS made 2,442 seizures in the first half of 2024, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N25.52 billion, representing a 203 per cent increase compared to the first half of 2023. The Service’s commitment to tackling smuggling operations continues to yield significant results.
4. Significant Increase in Second Quarter Seizures
– In the second quarter of 2024, the NCS made 1,334 seizures with a DPV of N17.56 billion, showing a 121 per cent increase over the first quarter. Top items seized include wildlife, vehicles, arms, rice, pharmaceuticals, and narcotics, with 32 suspects undergoing prosecution.
5. Reinforcement of NCS Automation Procedures
– To simplify and expedite Customs processes, CGC Adeniyi reinforced the NCS automation procedures, reducing manual processes and enhancing the efficiency of Customs clearance operations.
6. Capacity Building Programmes for Officers
– The CGC prioritized officer training and development, implementing capacity-building programmes to equip officers with the necessary skills to handle modern Customs operations that meet international standards.
7. Public-Private Partnerships for Trade Facilitation
– Under the CGC’s leadership, the NCS strengthened its engagement with the private sector through public-private partnerships aimed at improving trade facilitation and enhancing Customs clearance efficiency.
8. Implementation of Real-Time System Auditing
– To address operational challenges and enhance revenue collection, the CGC introduced real-time system auditing and post-clearance audits, ensuring compliance with import guidelines and improving overall efficiency.
9. Introduction of the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Scheme
– CGC Adeniyi launched the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) scheme to improve trade compliance and facilitate quicker customs clearance for trusted traders, a critical step toward international best practices.
10. Introduction of Advance Ruling System (ARS)
– The CGC implemented the Advance Ruling System (ARS), which provides legally binding decisions on classification, valuation, and rules of origin prior to importation, enhancing transparency and predictability for traders.
11. Launch of Operation Whirlwind
– To curb smuggling and improve border security, the CGC launched Operation Whirlwind, a focused anti-smuggling initiative aimed at disrupting illicit trade and securing Nigeria’s borders from economic saboteurs.
12. Strategic Reshuffling of Officers
– In a move to improve operational efficiency, CGC Adeniyi conducted a strategic reshuffling of officers at key positions, ensuring the deployment of skilled personnel to critical areas to enhance NCS performance.
These milestones highlight the CGC’s commitment to revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti-smuggling efforts, and modernization of customs operations for national economic growth and security.

_ASU BEKS

_SHIPPING WORLD NEWS MAGAZINE