The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, has called on importers, exporters, licensed customs agents and other stakeholders to clear outstanding Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) and comply with established customs procedures to reduce trade bottlenecks and boost government revenue.
The Acting Comptroller of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Farouk Nadaniya, made the call during a stakeholders’ meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation between Customs and the business community. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Unit’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Rose Nche.
Nadaniya said the persistent backlog of unutilised SGDs had necessitated the deployment of Customs Police to support revenue recovery, urging affected operators to take advantage of the opportunity to regularise their outstanding declarations. He also stressed the need for strict compliance with regulations governing transire transactions.
“Our collective priority is to facilitate legitimate trade, protect government revenue, enforce compliance with extant customs laws and regulations, and combat smuggling and other forms of illicit trade,” he said.
The Acting Comptroller, who acknowledged the cooperation extended to his predecessor, solicited continued support from licensed customs agents, importers, exporters and other stakeholders to improve operational efficiency and service delivery. He assured stakeholders of the Unit’s commitment to fairness, professionalism and accountability, adding that compliant traders would be supported while deliberate violations of customs regulations would be addressed.
Nadaniya expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Unit. He noted that his previous assignments with the Strike Force, Zone C, and as Deputy Comptroller in charge of Compliance at Port Harcourt II Command, Onne, had provided valuable opportunities to engage with the trading community.
He called for renewed commitment to cooperation, transparency and regulatory compliance, emphasising that effective collaboration between Customs and stakeholders remained essential to clearing trade backlogs, safeguarding government revenue and curbing illicit trade.
