Matthew Otoijagha
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said its record shows that a total of 280,000 metric tons of various export with a total Free on Board (FOB) value of $115.1 million (about N36 billion) was shipped through the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) Apapa in the first quarter of 2018.
This is even as the Area Command announced that it collected a total of N81.7 billion as revenue within the review period. The figure is N4.3 billion higher than the N77.4 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2017.
In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Nwala, Nkeiruka, the command expressed optimism that with the rollout of the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II (NICIS II) in Apapa which is expected to block revenue leakages and the expected repair of the severely dilapidated port access roads in Apapa, the revenue profile can only get better in the months ahead.
Nkeiruka also said that the command seized four containers of controlled drugs, including tramadol worth N110 million. The command, however, did not give details of the type of goods exported through the port.