By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Nigeria Customs Service has generated a total sum of N3.21 trn in the year 2023, Bashir Adeniyi, Comptroller General of the Service told members of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise on Wednesday.
Adeniyi who appeared before the committee accompanied by top officials of the NCS told the lawmakers that though the service targeted the sum of N3.67trn in the outgone year, it was only able to generate N3.21trn owing to a combination of factors.
This is even as he stated that all things being equal, men and officers of the NCS will work diligently to generate N5.08trn for the nation in 2024.
He said, “In 2023, the revenue target for the service was N3.67tran and remarkably, the service collected a total revenue of N3.21trn from January to December 2023.
“When we compare what we collected in 2023 to what was projected as our targets, there was a negative variance of N462.9 bn, which represents 12.62 per cent of what was approved as revenue targets.
“Though we didn’t achieve what we projected, but we want to say with all sense of modesty that we did our best. And when we consider all factors, we will appreciate the fact that we at NCS did the best we could.”