Comptroller Ajibola Abdulyekeen Odusanya, the Chief Export Facilitator, Commandeer of Lilypond Export Command, in this interview with ZAINAB JUNAID, emphasized how continuous collaboration, cooperation and strong synergy with Stakeholders(agents) and Security Agencies has helped facilitate export trade in the Command as it processed 48,231 metric tonnes of export goods with shipment value of $96,286,266.35, equivalent to One hundred and forty six billion, eighteen million, one hundred and twenty two thousand, nine hundred and nineteen naira, seventy eight kobo only (N146,018,122,919.78k) in January 2024.
“NPA should continue to sanitize, appraise ETO Call -up system; let the Stakeholders know that the system is devoid of corruption and is transparent enough to satisfy their needs,”-Chief Export Facilitator
Excerpts:
Sir, How is the feeling like for you becoming a Comptroller and your posting as the Customs Area Controller of a specialized area like Lilypond Export Command?
Exportation as we know, is a powerful engine for any Country’s economic growth and prosperity, and when fully embraced, it brings numerous benefits to our economy by diversifying our markets and creating more jobs. Export Business is within the domain of Federal Government renewed hope agenda, and Government has continued to lay emphasis on Export Business, encouraging Nigerians to embrace more export business, because when we export more, we increase our revenue and this bring positive impact to balance of trade as well as our foreign reserves and currency will also improve.
Now, commandeering the Export Command is an honour for me, given the privilege to be the Chief Export Facilitator for Customs demands more efforts, dedication, strengthening synergy with Sister Agencies and Stakeholders and with the Grace of the Almighty, our set mandate will not only be achieved but be surpassed.
Has there being any challenges so far Sir,?
Yes, there are challenges infact surmountable ones. Through my sensitization with stakeholders, I realized they are having issues with their CBN platforms to get their NXP- Export Proceeds form. The platform was not robust enough to satisfy the agents needs. However my sensitization with the Stakeholders and necessary actors interventions helped rectified this challenge.
Another challenge we have is ETO-Call up system, an application managed by Nigeria Port Authority, APM Terminals, and Export Processing Terminals. There are so many dynamics that guide the ETO Call -up, it was actually introduced to reduce the congestion at the Port. NPA give ETO, when they’ve confirmed that the ship expected to pick up a container is on ground. If the vessel to convey the containers is not on ground, and NPA allow containers into the terminal, the containers will only congest the Port.
Also, if import containers still occupy spaces within Port environs, it will be difficult for NPA to allow export containers to come in to the terminal due to lack of space. All these, affect our containers one way or the other. for instance our export processing terminal is a waiting place for containers carrying export products that are meant to enter the Port. It is when the terminal are done with administrative processing, we synergize with NPA via online, send details of Containers already processed to NPA, who in turn cross check, look at the rotation, if the ship is on ground to know whether to give out ETO so as to come or not in order to avoid congesting the Port. Flowing from the aforementioned, I will encourage NPA to continue to sanitize, appraise the ETO Call -up system, let the Stakeholders know that it is devoid of corruption, it is transparent enough to satisfy their needs. The more they refine the ETO system, appraise it, the more they give confidence to those concern.
How many metric tonnes of cargo was processed for the month of January Sir?
LilyPond Command processed 48,231 metric tonnes of export goods with shipment value of $96,286,266.35, that is one hundred and forty six billion, eighteen million, one hundred and twenty two thousand, nine hundred and nineteen naira , seventy eight kobo only (N146,018,122,919.78k) in January 2024.
Also about 1,164 containers of 20 feet and 1,019 container of 40 feet were processed for export weighing 48, 231 metric tonnes.
Sir, there are lots of articulated lorries parked around here, does that translate to good export business here?
On the number of articulated lorries, it shows that Nigerians are embracing export now. All the containers are laden with export goods and judging by the number of containers processed in January, we can conveniently conclude that Nigerians are embracing exportation business positively.
How much was paid into Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme as levy for the month of January?
Within the period under review, over one hundred million naira (N100,174,773.51k) has been paid into the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme(NESS) levy account, that is for the month of January 2024. The Federal Government designed Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) to ensure that the quality and quantity of goods comply with Export Regulations and price quoted to prevent capital flight and ensure that Nigerian products maintain a competitive advantage in relation to other exporting countries in the world.
Sir, the Comptroller General of Customs Conference in December was themed Analytical innovations while International Customs Day in January focused on robust Stakeholders relationship, Time Release Study was also launched last week in Lagos, in all these narratives, how does your specialized Lilypond Export Command key in?
Well, on the analytical Aspect-we allow data guide us in what we do. The data allows government to know what is on ground, we embrace data because we don’t want to act blindly. It is an intrinsic part of what we do here. There must be record for everything we do.
On Robust Stakeholders Relationship – I don’t underrate any sister agencies or any agent, we work as a team. I’ve held two stakeholders meeting within the short period I assumed duty and the meetings basically focus on synergy, collaborating on what we engaged in. Among the Stakeholders are Federal Produce Inspection Service, Quarantine, NPA, Nigeria Navy among others. My stakeholders cannot have issues with one shipping company and I will say it did not concern me. I should be able to help out, resolve that for them as the Chief Export Facilitator. I engaged Stakeholders with different Programmes regularly which I pledged to continue doing so as to facilitate their trade. I always endeavor to strengthen synergy with relevant actors, you can as well see the Federal Produce Inspection Service that just left my office now. We all need to strengthen collaboration with each other to achieve our set goals.
On time release study- the methodology is about measuring the time it takes for a job to get to the desk of Customs Officer and the time it leave the Customs desk. Customs is trying to work towards having least number of time that jobs stay in our system. It is about speed, saving time and facilitation. The fact that the study started from TinCan does not mean it’s for import alone. It goes for export too. Immediately an exporter launches is entry into our system, we will measure the time it takes for the job to be examined and be released from customs system. With TRS, we want to know the average time a job takes on our platform. It helps monitor when cargo moves from one place to another. They will audit it to know where it is delayed. We don’t want to waste time while handling exporter/agents goods. That’s what Time Release Study is all About. So, as Export Command we key into all the narratives because it’s a guide to achieving our mandate.
On a final note Sir, what are the legacies you would like to be remembered for?
I’ve been working on a legacy here since I resumed duty here. I want a situation whereby the time I leave here, the terrain will be a coercive Command, a situation where the synergy and the coercion will be so strong between my Officers and Stakeholders here. A command where every exporters will be willing to come transact their businesses because of the type of leadership I bring to bear. A situation where cooperation and understanding exist between Sister Agencies whether DSS, NDLEA, Quarantine, Navy and others, we should all be on the same page for the purpose of facilitating trade and protecting the national security.
“Going down memory lane, Comptroller Ajibola Abdulyekeen Odusanya, a scholar who has an aptitude for study, had his education background in Legal Profession before joining Nigeria Customs Service. He graduated in 1987 from Ogun State University now called Olabisi Onabanjo University as a law student and was called to bar in 1988. Having a background in law has brought immense benefit and added value to him in the Service.
He joined the Service in 1990 alongside the current Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, CAC Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Comptroller Tilley Gyado among others. He was Comptroller Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection before his current appointment as the Chief Export Facilitator for Customs and as Area Controller Lilypond Export Command.
