Uncustomed vehicles documentation yields N4.4bn for NCS – Report

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that it collected a total of N4.37 billion from the recent 90-day window provided for owners of uncustomed vehicles to regularize their documents.

Uncustomed vehicles refer to vehicles that were imported into the country without undergoing the required customs clearance procedures.

The Nigeria Customs Service’s half-year report, which our correspondent obtained on Sunday, shows that the agency generated N4.4bn.

The NCS noted that the 90-day window had a triple impact: increasing revenue, promoting transparency and compliance in customs procedures, and improving the service’s overall efficiency and effectiveness.

“Additionally, the introduction of a 90-day window for duty payment on uncustomed vehicles resulted in substantial revenue, amounting to N4,370bn,” the service said.

The service also said that it collected N2.742tn worth of revenue in the first half of 2024.

It said the figure showed an increase of 127 per cent when compared to the N1.2tn collected within the period in 2023.

According to the service, the figure surpassed the half-year target of eight per cent.

“The total revenue collected from January to June 2024 amounted to N2.742tn surpassing the half-year 2024 target by eight per cent and showing a significant increase of 127 per cent when compared to the half-year 2023 revenue, which was N1.2tn,” the service said.

It added that the NCS generated the sum of N1.3tn from the e-auction platform within the period under review.

“A significant contributing factor to the robust revenue collection by the NCS in the first half of 2024 was the successful implementation of the e-auction platform. From January to June 2024, the NCS generated a total of N1.3tn through e-auctions,” it stated.

The service added that within the period under review, a total of 2,442 seizures with a duty-paid value of N26bn were made.

“The figure represents 203 per cent higher when compared with what was collected same time in 2023,” it said.

The Service also announced that 32 suspects were apprehended in connection with the seizures made during the review period.

Giving a breakdown of the seizures, the NCS said, “In the second quarter of 2024 alone, there were 1,334 seizures, with a value of N18bn representing a 121 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2024,”

“Top items seized based on value include wildlife Items, 23 per cent; vehicles, 13 per cent; arms and ammunition, 13 per cent; rice 11 per cent; pharmaceuticals/medicaments, 11 per cent; narcotics/hemp and hard drugs, 10 per cent,” the service disclosed.