Following an unprecedented increase in revenue generation by the Nigeria Customs Service as a result of groundbreaking innovations in technology, a coalition of 259 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country has called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to replicate the same revenue template model in other revenue collection agencies to block loopholes and increase the countries Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
They urged President Tinubu to consider merit, proven capacity, integrity, and productivity as crucial criteria in appointing a new Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service to succeed the outgoing CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, as he proceeds on terminal leave ahead of his retirement from service.
The Coalition made the plea in a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr. Peter Chima Chukwu, and General Secretary, Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko on Wednesday, in Abuja.
Operating under the aegis of the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER), the CSOs noted that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration is already yielding appreciable results through the innovative revenue drive exemplified by the Nigeria Customs under the leadership of Adeniyi, which has resulted in an unprecedented increase in revenue collection by the Service in its 134 years of existence.
“With the incumbent CGC due to retire in the next few months, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must ensure that the appointment of his successor is strictly based on merit, proven capacity, and integrity, so as to upscale the current revenue target,” it said.
The CSOs pointed out that with the blue economy and sea ports particularly at the Apapa becoming a major source of revenue for the country, the President has a duty to ensure that the competent and efficient leadership put in charge of these “performing commands” by the outgoing CGC Adeniyi, especially in the past year, be encouraged for the enhancement of services and betterment of the NCS operations in general.
The CSOs, which praised the outgoing CGC Adeniyi for taking the Customs to greater heights in his short but eventful tenure, noted that these three port commands have been contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic well-being, industry growth, and national security through their sustenance and improvement of intelligence sharing, robust interactions, cooperation with sister government agencies, and regular stakeholder engagements.
The coalition added that the policy thrust of the outgoing CGC, including the deployment of a Unified Customs Management System, popularly known as B’Odogwu, is also being effectively utilized by the three port commands to achieve higher productivity ahead of the other commands of the NCS, with a view to assisting the Customs in its efforts to surpass the 2024 revenue collection and meet its 2025 target.