Half year Scorecard: Tin Can Island records 260.256Billion in 6 Month

Joyce Mmereole Okoli

The Tin Can Island port command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it recorded 291,436.43 metric tonnes of export in the first half of 2023.

Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede in a statement on Thursday, said the tonnage of the goods exported through the Tin Can Island Port Complex (TICPC) represents an increase of 110.8% over 138,246.5 metric tonnes recorded in the first half of 2022

He put the Free on Board (FOB) value of the exports at N182.3billion, which he said is N65 percent higher than the FoB value of N110. 4billion handled in the corresponding period of 2022.

He listed export items handled at the command to include Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Beans, Cashew Nut, Sesame Seeds, Rubber, Empty bottles and copper ingots. He explained that within the period under review, the Command participated in several symposiums to incentivize non-oil export including the CBN RT200fx where a lot of benefits to export trade were highlighted.

Speaking on revenue generation, Oloyede said the Command recorded a total collection of N260.3billion within the period under review.

“The first half collection in 2023 runs at a variation with the first half of 2022 with a total collection of N274.3billion on a difference of N14billion. Giving a breakdown of the monthly revenue collection of the command.

“The sum of N42.5billion was collected in the month of January 2023. “A total collection of Forty-One Billion, Five Hundred and Eighteen Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty-Nine Naira, Nine Kobo (N41,518,738,649.09) was collected in the month of February 2023.

"In the month of March 2023, the Command recorded a total collection of Forty-Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Three Million, One Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-Four Naira, Eleven Kobo (N42,803,114,544.11).

While in the months of April, May and June, the revenue recorded are Thirty-Six Billion, Five Hundred and Eleven Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand, Fifty-Seven Naira, Nine Kobo (N36,511,681,057.09), Forty-Six Billion, Four Hundred and Eighty-Five Million, Six Hundred and Thirty-Nine Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira, Seventy-Nine Kobo (N46,485,639,728.79) and Fifty Billion, Four Hundred and One Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, One Hundred and Three Naira Fifty Kobo (N50,401,432,103.50) respectively.

He added that it is imperative and worthy of note to mention the critical roles played by the Customs Intelligence Unit, the Valuation Unit, Customs Police Unit and Post Clearance Audit for their sustained interventions which translated to the blockage of revenue leakages by enhanced compliance towards the attainment of the revenue drive.

On the Command’s enforcement crusade, Comptroller Oloyede stated that, “Tin Can Island Command Anti-smuggling drive yielded remarkable successes in the first half of 2023.

Being the lead agency at the Port, the Enforcement Unit coordinated several anti-smuggling activities in synergy with other critical stakeholders in the trade value chain.

“The synergy led to the arrest of a total of 1442 Packets of Colorado Indica with a combined weight of 519.45kg extracted during 100% joint physical examination of eight (8) containers.

“The total street value according to NDLEA sources is N721,000,000.00. The means of conveyance in these cases, with the substance and two (2) suspects were handed over to NDLEA in strict compliance with the Service Headquarters’ directive", he said.

Comptroller Oloyede stated that the command has zero tolerance for the importation of unwholesome goods such as drugs, arms and ammunition adding that the mandate from the Service as well as the protection of the Nigeria Society is the driving force.

“We have continually put in proactive measures aimed at keeping our frontiers free from illicit and illegitimate trade,”he stated.