Customs CG pledges seamless operation at Lekki Port

The acting Controller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the support of the service towards the seamless operations at the Lekki Deep Seaport as a key contributor to the national economy.

The Customs CG gave the assurance on Wednesday after his first official visit to the port in Lekki, Lagos, according to a statement on Thursday.

Adeniyi explained that the NCS will provide all the necessary supports needed at the port to facilitate and boost trade in Nigeria in line with the mandate of the service.

He said, “We are coming with a shared understanding of what the Nigerian economy needs. We don’t need to look further than the investment we see here. We want to generate foreign exchange. We want foreign investment to come to Nigeria so that jobs can be created for our people and we can raise revenue. What we are seeing holds the promise and potential to achieve those objectives. As an agency of government, we will continue to be a partner with a shared vision. When we work together on major policy decisions, we will overcome any major issue that may arise.”

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He described Lekki Deep Seaport as a catalyst and a game-changer that would contribute to Nigeria’s economic prosperity and serve as a massive source of revenue for the government, given its capacity to handle large vessels.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Lekki Deep Seaport, Du Ruogang, thanked the new customs boss for honoring the port’s invitation to pay a visit to the facility.

“On behalf of the port promoters, China Harbour and Tolaram,  we congratulate you on your appointment, and we wish you great success in your work as CG of Customs. Lekki Port is eager to cooperate with you to leverage technology and automation for more efficient customs operations,” he said.

Ruogang stated that deep seaport had all the modern equipment and the features of a global port available in China, Singapore, Malaysia and Tangier.

He added that the cooperation of the customs is crucial to the port’s success adding that a smooth and efficient customs operation is key to attracting customers to the port. 

Also, speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the container terminal operator, Lekki Freeport Terminal, Mr Yann Magarian, disclosed that with the commencement of commercial operations at Lekki Freeport Terminal, Nigeria’s position as the maritime hub of West Africa has been restored. 

“In the few months of operations, we have achieved significant milestones at the Lekki Freeport terminal. These include increased productivity at Nigerian Ports using our state-of-the-art super post-Panamax cranes.

“This has allowed us to reduce operational hours on vessels while at berth; commissioning two of the fastest scanning machines in the country, which allows the scanning of containers in less than 1 minute and the commencement of transshipment services in Nigeria. This is the first of its kind. We are progressively returning container trade lost to neighbouring West African ports”, he said.