Officers of the LFTZ listen attentively to the speech by Comptroller Olumoh.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The wave of activities engendered by the decoration of all promoted officers at the Command level continued as the Lagos Free Trade Zone took turn on Tuesday to celebrate their officers while decorating them. The event provided a veritable opportunity for the Command head, Comptroller Olanrewaju Abdulwahab Olumoh to also give the scorecard of the Command as well as to use the occasion to speak to the public about the celebration of the International Customs Day and the various activities of the Command so far.
Every 26th of January is set aside by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) to celebrate Customs administrations. The uniqueness of the day lies on the chance it provides to honour respected personnel and highlight the significant roles of member nations in achieving the goals set by the WCO.
Comptroller Olumoh while addressing officers noted that “Driven by the need to position the Nigeria Customs Service well to meet the challenges and opportunities of the modern global trading community as well as driving the economic agenda of the present administration, the focal point of the service under the leadership of the CGC centres on building a virile resilient and purposeful Customs Service that would help turn around the economic fortunes of Nigeria”.
The theme for the 2025 International Customs Day is ” Customs Delivering on its commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity.” In line with the theme, the CAC said that the “CGC on Monday highlighted the significant strides the service has been making, how commitment is being turned to concrete action”.
His words “Today, I will attempt to domesticate this commitment in the Lagos Free Zone Command the Nigeria Customs Service. The LFZ Command is directly relevant to the realisation of the aspiration of the WCO. Within the last one year, the command has been working assiduously towards supporting the drive of the CGC, by leveraging on the existing provisions to advance the cause of the service, to promote trade and investment for the growth of the nation’s economy and enhancing shared prosperity between Nigeria, investors and the International trading partners”.
Comptroller Olumoh making his speech at the occasion.
In terms of efficiency, a large number of cargoes in the port and free zones are being scanned, making cargo clearance faster along that corridor. “Our port is blessed with fixed, mobile, and gantry scanners, unarguably the only one in the country at the moment. This has significantly reduced clearance time, minimises delays that may be associated with physical inspections, and brings about increased efficiency in our operations. The Customs administration under the good leadership of the CGC is supporting our drive in the command to make our operations be in tandem with International Best practices”.
To further the cause of efficiency at the Command, a number of officers had the opportunity to travel out of the country, share experiences with Customs of other nations as participatīon in such fora also helps them to be in tune with what is prevalent in the global environment. The opportunity to gain experience and share perspectives have been noted to have impacted the quality of services in the command.
CAC Olumoh added “Due to the way we relate with our investors, we have simplified and streamlined our operational procedures. The humane nature we apply is at variance with global best practices and has continued to attract businesses and investments to Nigeria. Because of the commitment to Efficiency, Cargo clearance is done at Lekki with relative ease, enterprises in the free zone conduct their businesses without much stress, the result is prosperity. Last year, distinguished guests, this command not only met its revenue target of 144 billion but surpassed it by generating the sum of #358 billion. This represent over 150% to what was collected in 2024”.
Comptroller Olumoh spoke about the inter-agency collaboration which is one of the policy thrusts of Comptroller-General of Customs as he informed the audience that “Through credible intelligence gathered by the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) and other critical partners notably, NDLEA, NAFDAC, we successfully intercepted 3 containers of illicit drugs and unauthorised pharmaceutical products last year. For the years ahead, this collaborative effort will be sustained and improved upon to guarantee further efficiency, improved security for optimal and quality service delivery”.
“When there is efficiency and security, prosperity is assured. Efficiency of the individual personnel translates to that of the organisation. What drives the Nigeria Customs Service is the efficiency of its workforce. Their dedication, hard work, and strong commitment lead to promotion”.
“Today, distinguished guests, is a day of double celebration. Just as the International Customs Day is being celebrated, we are also celebrating the promotion of a number of our officers that have distinguished themselves. I urge the newly promoted officers to see this elevation as a call to service, an avenue for them to renew their pledge of loyalty, support and dedication to the service of our fatherland with a view to making the NCS attain its overriding goal of national prosperity. Promotion, I must conclude by saying, is a continuous exercise. It is my heartfelt prayer that those that did not get it now will by the grace of God, get it in the next zone. What is important is long life, good health, perseverance and faith in God”. He concluded.
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