HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON CUSTOMS PAID AN OVERSIGHT VISIT TO SEME AREA COMMAND

By Okey IROEGBU 

On Monday, 7th April 2025, the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service received the house of representatives committee on Customs and excise who were at the command for  oversight visit. The Committee was led by the Chairman, Right Honourable Leke Abejide. The visit as usual is part of the National Assembly's statutory oversight responsibilities as enshrined in Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.   

According to the press release by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, CSC Isah Sulaiman, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Dr. Ben Oramalugo PhD in welcoming the delegation, expressed deep appreciation for the Committee's presence, describing it as a strong demonstration of their commitment to enhancing Customs administration, trade facilitation, and national revenue optimization.

          He went ahead to report

that Dr. Oramalugo highlighted the strategic importance of the Joint Border Post (JBP), the headquarters of the command which is strategically along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, which also serves as a vital hub for regional trade. He reiterated the Command’s dedication to embracing the JBP initiative, which fosters cooperation with the Republic of Benin, promotes intelligence sharing, and improves customs clearance through the one-stop border post model.

          It could be noted that

since assuming office on 11th February 2025, the Customs Area Controller has focused on four key mandates which are: revenue generation; trade facilitation; anti-smuggling operations; and inter-agency collaboration. Under his leadership, the Command has recorded significant achievements .

          The release noted that

on Revenue Generation, the Command generated One Billion, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Six Million , Three Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Naira and Eighty-Five Kobo (N1, 986,395,565.86k)  in the first quarter of 2025 through improved compliance, risk management, and enforcement.

          On Trade Facilitation,

exploits on Export activities were notably boosted with over 96,000 metric tonnes of goods with a Free On Board value of Twenty Billion, Four hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira and Eighty-Seven Kobo (N20, 454,888,432.87k) only, facilitated from January to March 2025.

          The area command has never taken it lying low on the area of enforcement, sanitazing the corridor as a diplomatic route. On the Anti-Smuggling therefore, from January to March 2025, saw several seizures  ranging from petroleum products, narcotics, foreign rice, poultry, vehicles, foreign parboiled rice and more with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Eight Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Seven Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Four Naira (N855,700,524.00k) only.  

          All these were notwithout challenges as Dr. Oramalugo, outlined several of these operational challenges faced by the Command which include poor infrastructure, shortage of personnel and equipment, lack of power supply for over Seven (7) years in the entire Seme axis, and ocean encroachment. He called for urgent government intervention, especially in technology deployment, environmental protection, and enforcement of contractual obligations on stalled projects.  

          In his response, the

Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide, reaffirmed the Committee’s resolve to critically assess the operations, revenue performance and capital projects in line with the 2023 and 2024 budgetary approvals.    

          "We are here to check

your books, operations, and ongoing projects to ensure alignment with appropriated funds and to determine areas for retention or removal in the 2025 budget," Hon. Abejide stated.

          He emphasized the need for the Command to provide data on revenue performance in relation to targets, impact of E-Customs and digital platforms and efforts made in suppressing smuggling and promoting Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.

          Hon. Abejide assured that the welfare of Customs officers is of equal priority, encouraging the Command to use the opportunity to present actionable needs for inclusion in the 2025 budget.

          Finally the visit was

concluded with mutual assurances of continued collaboration in strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service as a key driver of economic development, regional integration, and national security. The visitors were taken round some of their operational bases and the Seme Customs Management had a group photograph with them to commomerate the visit.