Customs records 858,843 growth in trade transactions

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (retd), has said the service recorded 858,843 transactions in 2021, which is 17.26 per cent higher than the volume of transactions handled in 2020.

Ali who stated this on Wednesday during the celebration of the International Customs Day at the Customs headquarters in Abuja said it was due to the pursuit for digital transformation and building of a data ecosystem.

The event, which had the theme: “Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem,’ marked the date of inauguration of the Customs Cooperation Council, now referred to as the World Customs Organisation (WCO).

Sixteen Customs officers who distinguished themselves in digital skills were awarded certificates of recognition.

He also disclosed that the federal government gave the NCS a target of N3.1 trillion for 2022, but not N4 trillion as is being speculated.

The WCO Secretary-General, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, in a message called on Customs administrations to integrate data science into their curriculums for newly recruited officers.

“With the help of data analysis, Customs administrations are invited to make data available to the public and academia as a means of enhancing transparency, stimulating the production of knowledge and enabling dialogue with the civil society.”