Customs Facilitates Export of 12,438 Containers worth $518.7m in 9 months

Customs Facilitates Export of 12,438 Containers worth $518.7m in 9 months

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Customs Area Controller, Lilypond Export Command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya has stated the Command facilitated the export of 12,438 containers with a Free on Board (FOB) value of $518,690,852.93 between January and September 2023.

Comptroller Odusanya disclosed this in Lagos while explaining the critical role of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) in the facilitation of exports, adding that Lilypond export command is a one-stop shop for export business.

He explained that the current government policy in Nigeria requires zero duty payment for export and exporters don’t pay export duties, except on special occasions, where goods that were otherwise imported are being re-exported, and in this case, 2.5 percent levy is paid on the current value of the goods with the government’s permission.

Comptroller Odusanya gave a data analysis of exports the Command has facilitated within the year.

He said, “From January to the end of September 2023, the Command has facilitated the export of 12,438 export containers; if you break them down, we have 6524 × 20-foot containers and 5914 × 40-foot containers with a FOB value of $518,690,852.93.”

“For the goods, we have Agricultural produce such as cocoa, cashew, soya, ginger, hibiscus flower(zobo leaves), cotton, sesame seeds, etc., locally manufactured goods like cigarettes, cosmetic items, beverages, etc. Solid minerals such as Aluminium, copper, magnesium, lithium and Zinc.

We have other sundry commodities like foodstuff, personal effects and others.” He explained.

Stakeholders within the export terminal maintained that processing their documents with Customs is an efficient one. Still, they suggested more manpower from other government agencies stationed at the export terminal to ease their clearance processes.

Comrade Augustine Umunnakwe, the Maritime Union Chairman, Lilypond export terminal-Unit, said, “Customs Officers are efficient in terms of their work, but where we have challenges with shipping companies because of less manpower attending to us.”

“Another thing is that, though government agencies are doing their work, in terms of clearance, their representatives should be stationed here to make the work more efficient.” He added.

Abdulsalam Babatunde, the Head of Processing Diamond Star Port and Terminal Limited, on his part, stated that, as an export processing terminal, there is a strong relationship and collaboration with the shipping lines and Government Agencies.

In his words, “We facilitate the processing at the Port, we have our handshake with the major shipping lines and the terminal, we confirm the bookings to ensure that whatever leaves this terminal goes directly to the vessel, we ensure their quality and their quantity.”

“We don’t do it alone. We work with NPA, ETP, and Customs as well and make sure that we do not export anything that has not been duly released by customs.” Babatunde explained.

Also speaking, Emmanuel Ekle, the Principal Trade Promotion Officer at Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Southwest, disclosed that registration for exporters is a seamless process that is done online.

Emmanuel also revealed that the Council supports trade promotion activities and administer export incentives as well as export expansion grant.

 

Nigerian Journalists Remain Endangered Species'- Orok Nsikak

 Nigerian Journalists Remain Endangered Species'- Orok Nsikak

...Orok Bags Award of Recognition

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Editor in Chief, Roamreporters Online, Innocent Nsikak Orok has said that Nigeria Journalists remain endangered species in as much they operate in an environment constituted with oppressive leaders.

Speaking at the 2023 Safety of Journalists Symposium held on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at LCCI Alausa, Lagos State with the theme "Mitigating Online Violence Against Journalists in Nigeria", Orok stressed that journalism profession pride itself as the ‘Fourth Estate of the Realm’ with only his pen as weapon, while others in the ‘Estate’- the Executives, Legislature and Judiciary controls  the instruments of Force, Power of the State.

“In such an unbalanced system and when compared with the characters at the corridors of power, then the pen will surely not be mightier than the sword, because the characters in power have designed strategies, means and ways of attacks, intimidation, frustration and use of State powers to suppress the might of the Pen,” he said.

Making reference to several attacks targeted on journalists globally, Orok said Armed Conflicts Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded 520 attacks against journalists in 2022 as against 460 in 2021.

He also said that the International Press Centre (IPC) recently revealed a data depicting a total of 66 Nigerian journalists and three Media houses suffered various forms of attacks in 2022 in the course of discharging their duties.

In view of the aforementioned, Orok maintained that as trained and practicing media men, journalists must for the purpose of mitigating the threats and violence against them, apply the strategy of what he referred to as 'the famous Eneke, the bird, who learn to fly without perching since the hunter has learnt to shoot without missing.

"In view of several attacks and other odd experiences encountered by journalists, Journalists should endeavour to understand their respective beats/sectors very well before publishing any controversial story, especially when it has to do with figures and data.

"With the season of cloning and falsification of documents, planting and photo shopping of photos and videos, avoid being tricked into reporting stories that are not fact checked," he said.

He concluded appreciating the organisers of the event- the Management and Board of Media Centre for Promotion of Safety Awareness; publishers of Safety and Security Watch;  especially Dr Chinyere.

" Thank you for being able to put up the thought provoking and strategic thinking programme for Journalists as a way to mitigate the dangers of the profession, especially in an era where technology is changing the traditional communication methods as well as bridging the time and distance which were hitherto limiting factors in communication."