FG Charges Customs to Set World-Class Standards, Warns Against Complacency
By Patience Ikpeme
The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to set world-class benchmarks that can be measured through real results, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s regional and global competitiveness.
This directive was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, when he visited the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja this week to chair the Board meeting, his first since becoming Finance Minister.
According to the minister, Nigeria must lead through performance and not mere talk. He said the government expects the Customs Service to work towards port efficiency that removes bottlenecks, ensure openness across all its operations, speed up how quickly cargo is cleared, and maintain strict honesty in the way revenue is collected.
Speaking further, Oyedele charged officers of the Service not to allow the progress recorded so far to make them relax or slow down. “Results are precisely what should propel us to do more,” he said.
The minister assured that the Federal Government remains committed to providing Customs with the necessary technology, tools and policy support needed to help the Service do even more. He also called on every officer to see their job as going beyond just managing the nation’s borders. “I urged every officer to see themselves not just as border administrators, but as frontline drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth and global competitiveness,” he said.
Before the Board meeting, the minister toured the facility, where he observed some of the recent investments made in technology and intelligence gathering. He commended the leadership and staff of the Service for the notable progress made so far in revenue generation and trade facilitation.
