The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has generated N1.02 trillion at its Apapa Area Command in the first half of the year.

Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Babatunde Olomu, disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos on Monday.

He said that the figure represented a 143 per cent increase over the N421.38 billion generated during the same period in 2023.

Olomu highlighted that the agency’s efforts at promoting and facilitating trade are yielding significant results.

“Our efforts have been mainly targeted at preventing revenue losses, improving ease of doing business, and engaging stakeholders,” Olomu said.

He noted that the command generated the amount despite a sharp reduction in trade volume.

“We have implemented measures to prevent government revenue loss by using a blend of intelligence and community relations,” he added.

Olomu said that during the review period, the command intercepted 11 containers of regulated items, such as expired drugs, contraband goods, and frozen birds worth N424 million, compared to 42 seizures with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N1.4 billion in the corresponding period of 2023.

“These seizures were made from dishonest importers attempting to smuggle goods into Nigeria,” he stated.

The News Agency reports that the command uncovered a large quantity of expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals in three 40ft containers.

It also uncovered another three 40ft containers loaded with 7,580 cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption.

Olomu explained that these smuggled items violated Schedule Three of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff, CET, and Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.