The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has cleared the air on fears among its officers and men that the ongoing Trade Modernization Project (TMP) may lead to their downsizing or from the Service. He added that such rumours and feelings are unfounded.
Ali gave the assurance on Thursday at the flag-off of the Project Management Office of the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation Project he said on the contrary, that the Service needs to grow its manpower base from 16,000 to 30,000.
According to him, the NCS has enormous responsibilities, especially manning many borders, hence the need to leverage technological deployment and upgrade to become globally competitive.
He said the trade modernisation journey took off in 2015, when it realised the pressing need for better infrastructure and the importance of becoming a data-driven organization to enhance our service delivery.
“By leveraging technology effectively, NCS can adapt to changing market dynamics in trade, optimize our operations, and unlock new revenue streams thereby contributing to economic growth and wellbeing of our citizens.
“Despite the challenges we encountered along the way, we persevered.
“The flag-off of the Modernisation Project signifies not just the culmination of our efforts, but also a celebration of the NCS’s determination, resilience, and foresight”, he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Madakin Lokoja, said the project was a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement wherein the company will invest $3.2 billion over a 20-year period, which will generate more than $200 billion in revenue for the Federal Government.
“The financing for the first phase of the project, in the sum of $300 million, together with a cash backed $9 million Performance Bond in favour of the NCS, have been secured through our financial partners.
“A substantial part of this investment will go towards building the capacity of the NCS, ensuring business continuity, and managing the associated project risks.
“The retrofit of the Project Management Office (PMO) is part of this initial investment. As trade becomes increasingly complicated, the project will equip the NCS with the necessary technology tools and platforms to drive trade harmonization”, he explained.
He added that the project will be implemented through the delivery of a Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), trade portal, non-intrusive inspection system, risk control centre, electronic cargo tracking system, cargo release system, enforcement system, telecommunication video surveillance and connectivity, border management system, and automation service.
