The Nigeria Customs Service, Lagos Industrial Area Command, has intensified efforts to improve excise revenue collection and compliance through a series of familiarisation and sensitisation engagements with key industry stakeholders.

According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Juliana Tomo, a Superintendent of Customs, the engagement programme, which began last month and ended in December, followed the assumption of office by the newly appointed Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Adebola Salawu, who assumed duty in September.

The statement added that the visits “aimed to strengthen collaboration with excise-paying stakeholders and improve the command’s overall revenue performance.”

Speaking during the event, the CAC reviewed stakeholders’ revenue payment processes, stressing the need for timely and accurate remittance of excise duties in line with extant regulations.

“I reaffirm my commitment to contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic advancement, and I regard this effort as a patriotic responsibility,” Salawu stated.

She urged stakeholders to embrace transparency and compliance in their operations, noting that practical cooperation between the NCS and industry players is critical to achieving sustainable revenue growth.

Salawu also encouraged stakeholders to fully utilise the Unified Customs Management System, popularly known as the “B’Odogwu” platform, for real-time excise duty payments.

“The B’Odogwu platform is designed to ensure seamless, transparent and efficient excise duty payments. Payment delays could attract penalties under the NCS Act 2023, including a 10 per cent surcharge on late excise duty payments, as well as additional sanctions for trade violations,” she cautioned.

The CAC further highlighted several trade facilitation initiatives of the service aimed at promoting ease of doing business and strengthening partnerships with the private sector.

“These include export facilitation processes, the one-stop-shop initiative, the Authorised Economic Operators programme, Advance Ruling and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area,” she concluded.