Customs in Niger upgrades facility to NICIS II at Ilorin Airport …Trains 57 officers, 11 agents on new platform

Customs in Niger upgrades facility to NICIS II at Ilorin Airport

.Trains 57 officers, 11 agents on new platform

 By Udeme Clement

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command, has upgraded its electronic system from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information system 1,  (NICIS I) to (NICIS II), at Ilorin International Airport.

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command, Comptroller Abba-Kasim Yusuf, made this known through the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Command, Lomba B. O.

He explained that, migrating to NICIS II, which is an improved platform for Customs operations, becomes imperative, in order to increase revenue generation, thereby blocking all leakages.

According to him, the Command is working in line with the reform agenda of Comptroller –General of Customs, CGC Hameed Ali, on revenue generation, suppression of smuggling and trade facilitation for optimum economic productivity.

Lomba also said that Comptroller Yusuf, had previously visited the Customs Processing Centre (CPC) facility in Ilorin International Airport, on   November 22 2018, where he  promised to upgrade the facility.

As such, his action was also in fulfillment of the  promise earlier made to upgrade the facility to NICIS II platform.

He said, “To match words with action, the Centre is now wearing a new look, the NICIS I, has been upgraded. About 57 Officers, 11 Customs agents, several banks representatives and other critical stakeholders were trained and are now NICIS II compliant”.

He informed, “Ilorin Airport will remain the annex for all clearance processes, pending the time the CPC will be installed at the Command’s Headquarters in Minna, Niger State and Ilorin outstation in Kwara State.

“Importers/Exporters of petty goods and agricultural produce are willing to pay duty. So, upgrading our system will fast track the process of clearing their goods”.

The CAC pointed out,  “The system has been designed to reduced the bottleneck importers face, as clearing of goods will virtually be impossible without any means of identification and necessary documents”.

The CAC thanked CGC Ali for the feat, declaring that the Command is moving towards becoming viable in terms of revenue generation. He promised that the Command will support stakeholders ready to do legitimate businesses.

While addressing officers deployed for election duties at Ilorin out station, the CAC advised them to remain neutral. He explained that the responsibility of Customs Officers is to complement the Police and other agencies in providing security during elections. He charged officers to carry out their duties without compromise.