General
Nigerian Senate Queries Customs’ Non-Remittance of Surplus
By Adedapo Adesanya
• NCS Achieves Almost 60% of Targeted Revenue in Five Months
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reached 59.9 percent of its target revenue of N957 billion for the 2020 fiscal year as it announced raking N573 billion between January and May.
But the Senate Committee on Customs raised questions over non-remittance of operation surplus every year by the service.
This followed the announcement made by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CG), Mr Hameed Ali, at an interactive session on revenue generation with the Senate Committee on Customs on Thursday.
Mr Hameed, represented by Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG), Human Resources, Mr Sanusi Umar, said the customs was able to realise more than half of the targeted revenue for the year due to blockage of identified leakages.
“As a result of blocking of identified areas of leakages and free flow of traffic for importers during the COVID-19 lockdown, our revenue generation increased rapidly to about N6 billion to N7 billion per day, making us rake in N573 billion within five months which is more than half of the N957 billion targeted revenues for us in 2020.
“The target given to the service in terms of revenue was N1.6 trillion but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the target was reviewed to N957 billion,” he said.
Mr Ali was, however, taken up by the committee members on non-remittance of surpluses made every year, particularly in 2018 and 2019.
A member of the committee and retired custom officer, Mr Francis Fadahunsi, (PDP – Osun East), queried why the agency did not reflect the surpluses in its reports presented to the committee.
“In 2019 alone, you made surplus of N34 billion, which is not reflected in the 2020 reports before us,” he said.
Another member of the committee, Mr Sulaiman Kwari (APC – Kaduna North), challenged officials of customs to explain what they do with such surpluses.
But the customs representative in his response told the committee that the NCS was not a treasury-sponsored agency that was expected to make returns to the treasury on any amount not spent.
“Customs is now a performance-based agency.
“We are not a treasury-sponsored agency, which normally makes return to the treasury of any amount not spent.
“Where we have any shortfall, we don’t have anybody backing us and we cannot borrow from the bank,” he said.
Members of the Committee led by Mr Francis Alimikhena (APC – Edo North), however, disagreed on whether to revert the targeted revenue for customs in 2020 to N1.6 trillion as earlier passed in December or retain it at N957 billion proposed in the revised budget.
Also, while Mr Gyang Istifanus Dung (PDP – Plateau North), called for upward review of the targeted revenue, but Mr Adamu Aliero (APC – Kebbi Central), disagreed.
According to Mr Aliero, the N957 billion targeted in the revised budget is even not realisable as effects of COVID-19 will start reflecting in the agency’s revenue collection from July.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Francis Alimikhena, alongside another member Mr Fadahunsi, however, told the Customs officers to sustain the constant high revenues intake the agency recorded within the last five months.
Mr Fadahunsi specifically said that the target was a lazy way of collecting revenues.
“Customs can do more than it has done within the last five months in terms of revenue collections if other ports like Port Harcourt and Calabar are focused like Lagos.
“We cannot continue to approve loan everyday just as government cannot continue to be financing budget with borrowings every year.
“Enough revenues must be generated by relevant agencies like Customs, the very reason this committee invited its top management staff for brainstorming on way out,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has reaffirmed that electricity meters being deployed under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) are free for customers, warning Nigerians not to pay any money for meter supply or installation.
The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, stated this in Abuja at a joint media briefing on DISREP with the managing directors of Nigeria’s 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). DISREP is financed through a $500 million World Bank facility.
The DG said the concessional nature of the funding, which comes at single-digit interest rates, makes it more sustainable than commercial borrowing and supports long-term stability in the power sector.
Under the DISREP IPF, 3.2 million smart meters are being procured and installed nationwide over four years through competitive international and local bidding. According to him, close to 700,000 meters have already been delivered, while about 200,000 have been installed across different DisCos.
The DG said, “With DISREP and other Federal Government interventions, the journey to power sector reliability is underway. DISREP is not just a short-term intervention, but part of a broader and coordinated plan of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, towards building a financially viable and service-oriented electricity market
“Nigerians deserve a power sector that works, one that delivers reliable electricity, protects consumers, ensures value for money, and supports economic growth.
“Together, we shall achieve that! The supply and installation of these meters for customers is free.
It was also disclosed that the government had already paid the contractors to supply and install the meters. DISREP is integrated with other metering initiatives, including the Presidential Metering Initiative and the Meter Acquisition Fund, to accelerate the closing of Nigeria’s metering gap.
On his part, the Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr Chijioke Okwuokenye, warned customers not to pay for meters.
“These meters are to be deployed and installed freely. Anybody asking you to bring money should be reported,” he said.
MD of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco), Mrs Wola Joseph-Condotti, said the company is working closely with the authorities to weed out bad eggs who extort money from customers for meter procurement and installation.
The programme offers significant benefits to consumers, including the removal of upfront meter purchase and installation costs, accurate billing, the elimination of arbitrary estimated billing, improved service accountability by DisCos, better transparency and dispute resolution, and long-term improvements in supply reliability as the sector becomes more financially viable.
For DisCos, Mr Gbeleyi said DISREP provides access to concessional World Bank financing for metering and network upgrades, reduces Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, improves liquidity and revenue assurance, and strengthens operational performance for long-term investment.
He disclosed that $250 million of the facility is dedicated to Investment Project Financing, which supports bulk procurement of the 3.2 million smart meters, deployment of Meter Data Management Systems, and provision of technical assistance and capacity-building programmes to strengthen DisCos’ operations and processes.
Describing DISREP as a landmark transaction, Mr Gbeleyi said it is the first initiative of its kind in which the government, beyond investing in distribution network infrastructure, is deploying meters at scale to bridge the country’s metering gap. He cited official figures showing that Nigeria currently has about 5.66 million unmetered electricity customers.
“The plan is to quickly close that gap. These meters are for everybody. They are for Nigerians. Priority is on unmetered customers,” he said.
He clarified that while the policy targets unmetered customers, DisCos have been allowed to deploy up to 20 per cent of the meters to replace faulty or technologically obsolete units, following feedback from the field.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has successfully concluded the review of the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) application, which is aimed at ensuring seamless handling and efficient resolution of stakeholders’ commercial disputes across the maritime sector.
The Head of NSC-ICT, Mr Benjamin Ivwigheghweta, and his team; the Head of the Complaints Unit, Mr Bashir Ambi and his team; as well as consultants from BrandOne, all collaborated to complete the platform’s final implementation stage.
Mr Ivwigheghweta expressed satisfaction with the successful integration of the revamped PSSP for streamlined dispute resolution. He encouraged the team to fully engage with the new system and to ask questions where necessary, ensuring that every member is well equipped to meet stakeholder needs with precision and efficiency.
On his part, Mr Ambi applauded the deployment of the PSSP as a tool for accelerating grievance resolution, adding that the platform would significantly strengthen the council’s dispute resolution framework by promoting transparency, boosting stakeholder confidence, and generating reliable, data-driven records to support national economic growth.
He further commended the ICT team for its unwavering support-particularly in ensuring extended network availability to support the Unit’s after-hours operations.
Describing the PSSP as a critical modern upgrade for dispute resolution, Mr Ambi revealed that the Council’s operations are now about 90 percent digital. “We rely heavily on electronic platforms to serve our stakeholders,” he said, adding that the ICT Unit has remained the backbone of these efforts by providing consistent support, even over weekends, to ensure uninterrupted online service delivery.
This digital-first approach, he noted, keeps the NSC at the forefront of maritime efficiency.
Following a productive three-hour technical review and interactive question and answer session, the PSSP is now in its final phase.
The next steps include the configuration of individual user access by the ICT Unit and a live demonstration of the platform to Management. Upon completion of these tasks, the council will be ready to go live-ushering in a new era of digital efficiency in port service delivery.
The Port Service Support Portal was officially launched by the former Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, in June 2016 in Abuja. The launch was held alongside the unveiling of the Port Harmonized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The portal was designed as an online, real-time platform to enhance service delivery, address stakeholder complaints, and curb corruption at Nigerian ports.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has deployed an army battalion to Kaiama district in Kwara State after suspected jihadist fighters killed about 170 people in an overnight attack on Tuesday.
The terrorists stormed Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Council, according to Kwara State lawmaker, Mr Saidu Ahmed.
The violence highlights fears that jihadist factions prevalent in Northern Nigeria are pushing south along the Niger-Kwara axis toward the Kainji forest.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the new military command will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities.
He condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric,” saying the gunmen targeted villagers who had rejected attempts to impose extremist rule.
“It is commendable that community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a belief that promotes violence over peace,” President Tinubu said in the statement.
The President urged collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide succour to members of the community and ensure that those who committed the atrocities do not go scot-free.
President Tinubu prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and condoled with those who lost family members as well as the people and government of Kwara State.
Similarly, suspected bandits stormed Doma community in Tafoki Ward, Katsina State, on Tuesday afternoon, killing several residents, injuring many others and setting vehicles and houses ablaze.
There were conflicting figures over the casualty toll, with police putting the number of deaths at 13, while the executive chairman of Faskari Local Council estimated more than 20.
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