…to recruit 1600 junior staff in 2024
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has pledged to boost Officers’ welfare and also surpassed N5.079 trillion revenue target of 2024 which is 27.75 percent higher than the target of 2023.
CG Adeniyi made the pledge while presenting the Service’s 2024 budget of N706.43 billion to the Nigeria Senate Committee on Customs at the National Assembly on Monday 5 February 2024.
While defending the budget, Adewale focused attention on consolidating carried-over projects, increasing staff welfare by improving and motivating officers’ performance, and integrating technologies into Customs processes.
Regarding Officers’ welfare, he noted that Officers will be encouraged in various ways to increase efficiency and improve their well-being, stating it would be done through awards, promotions, and payment of allowances.
Adeniyi further outlined strategies to achieve the 2024 target to include- implementing the National Single Window championed by the Federal Ministry of Finance; Standardizing Customs processes; port decongestion; collaboration with other agencies for efficiency and competitiveness; anti-smuggling operations; integrating ICT into operations; investing in capacity building; and stakeholder engagement; among others.
The CG also emphasized supporting local production and taking food security seriously.
His words “We intend to grant waivers to vehicle owners to pay duties within a specific time to avoid sanctions and regularize the importation of vehicles through payment of duties.”
“The service plans to recruit 1,600 personnel in 2024. The low figure is due to the small vacancies we have available. These vacancies are primarily for junior staff who will carry out Customs operations and guard duties. In subsequent years, more recruitment exercises will be carried out.”
CG Adeniyi further expressed that the Service had a shortfall by 12.62 percent in its 2023 revenue target, as result of cash crunch, general elections, and other factors affecting revenue generation negatively. He also cited section 99 of the Common External Tariff (CET), import duty exemption certificates, as part of factors that affected the revenue generated. He later assured the Senate Committee of a positive outcome in 2024.
In response , Senator Isa Jibrin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, applauded the CG for the progress and success achieved in his brief tenure in Office, beckoning him to perform better as the house will support him in terms of remuneration and infrastructure to meet up with the 2024 target.
