- Monday, May 6, 2024
- Contact
The Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS), Lagos Free Trade Zone Command, has celebrated a record breaking
revenue of N54 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024.
It generated
N25,094,030,014.00 in revenue from the Free Zone and N29,671,886,266 from the
Lekki Port, making it a cumulative total revenue of N54,765,916,280 for the
first quarter of the year.
The outgoing
Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, during the
ceremony held in Lagos, reeled out the command's remarkable achievements while
handing over leadership to Comptroller, Olanrewaju Olumoh.
Speaking about his
experience at the Command in the last seven months since he assumed office,
Babandede noted that the most important thing he was taking out of the command
was the synergy between agencies and engagement with stakeholders.
He said: "When
I came in September, the free zone was only able to generate revenue of about
N2 to N3 billion, but to God be the glory, we can now generate N15 to N25
billion in a month.
"We engaged a
lot of stakeholders, and we worked with other government agencies because we
cannot do it alone, and we established a bond like a family."
The outgoing CAC
advised stakeholders to maintain a high level of integrity in their cargoes and
urged the new Customs Area Controller to carry everyone along.
On his part, the
new CAC, Comptroller Olanrewaju Olumoh, appreciated his predecessor for his
purpose-driven leadership, pledging to build on his exceptional foundation
while also soliciting support from stakeholders and officers.
He said: "I am
happy that I am not meeting this Command at the scratch level. I have optimism
to build on the very good foundation Comptroller Babandede is leaving behind. I
thank you, Comptroller, for your purpose-driven leadership."
"To our
critical stakeholders, I acknowledge the wonderful support you have been giving
the command over the years; I want to assure you that the overriding goal will
be how to make this Command more robust, alive and economically rewarding to
the country.
"I assure you
I'm going to operate a very open-door policy just like my brother did,"
Olumoh added.
Stakeholders, as
well as representatives of sister agencies, showered encomium on the outgoing
CAC while also urging the new CAC to continue on the integrity and legacy
already in existence at the Free Zone for the nation's good.
"My
expectation from the new Comptroller is to double his effort. I don't know the
capacity at which he will be working, but I expect much more from him so that
the integrity and legacy that Babandede has left will continue in the Free
Zone," stated one of the stakeholders, Oladunni Kareem.
Leave Comments