The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has signed a $3.2bn (N1.3trn) contract to upgrade its operations in the next 20 years.
The contract, which is a Public-Private-Partnership, would lead to the digitisation of infrastructure in the service and help bring its operations in line with international standards, is to be executed by the Trade Modernisation Project LTD (TMPL) and its partners.
Speaking at the signing ceremony and concession, yesterday, the Comptroller General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali, noted that the contract, when completed, would set a pace that other African countries are looking forward to learning from and its success would put Nigeria on an enviable map.
“We have signed this agreement and hit the ground running. This project is very important in the sense that it has so many benefits.
“For the NCS, it is going to change its entire business process and put it on the best path in terms of doing their business and remove all arbitrariness and human mistake and to ease the cost of doing business.”
He added that with the service currently generating within N210bn to N225bn a month, the contract would help to triple or quadruple the figure.
On whether the digitisation would lead to job cuts in the service, he said. “There are rumours that the project will weed out officers but we will need more.
“Currently we have only 15,000 but in our own mission we need nothing less than 30,000 or above to be able to effectively and efficiently carry out the mandate given to us,” he stated.
He further urged its staff to upgrade their skills in operating digital gadgets to make them move along with the upgrade.”
Speaking, the Chairman of TMPL, Seleh Ahmadu, said the modernisation project would increase Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.
He said with the support of its technical partners, Huawei Technologies and financing from Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), it is ready to hit the ground running as the U$3.2 billion investment required for the project is already being finalized through an AFC-led initiative.
“As the concession period begins, we wish to assure Nigerians that the revenue target of $176 billion for the federal government will be achieved, if not surpassed. More importantly, we are excited about the real economic benefits for the country, in terms of business growth for exporters and import-dependent business improvement.”
He added that the project would help in the diversification of Nigeria’s economy and the development of the non-oil sector.
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