Pix: Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service

The Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos, yesterday, said it raked in a total sum of N38.02 billion from imports between January and March 2025.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), KLT Command, Compt. Joy Edelduok disclosed that the revenue collected in the first quarter of 2025 showed a progressive difference of N14.43 billion, depicting a 61 percent increase from the 2024 first-quarter revenue.

“When compared with the first quarter of 2024, which stood at N23.7 billion, it clearly showed a progressive difference of N14.43 billion, depicting a 61 percent increase,” she said.

She attributed the growth to the effective revenue collection strategies and the efforts of the officers and men of the command in combating smuggling and illicit trade.

Also, she emphasized the command’s commitment to stakeholder engagement through an open-door policy, fostering positive relationships and promoting compliance.

She also disclosed that the command would be handing over nine containers of expired pharmaceuticals to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

She stated further that the importation of the drug contravened the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

“The command seized nine 40-foot containers of expired drugs, which contravened the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. These seized items will be handed over to NAFDAC for further action,” she said.

Expressing gratitude, Comptroller Edelduok thanked the stakeholders and partner agencies for their collaboration and implored them to work together to move the country forward.

Comptroller Edelduok emphasized the command’s commitment to stakeholder engagement through an open-door policy, fostering positive relationships and promoting compliance.

She further appreciated the Officers and Men of the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command for demonstrating integrity in the fight against smuggling and illicit trade and urged them to always adhere strictly to the rules of engagements while discharging their statutory duties.

“I appreciate the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team for their support, motivation and the platform to excel. The command is dedicated to transparency, efficiency and national security in all operations.”

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has on Tuesday, reiterated it’s resolved to promote made-in-Nigeria products.

Head, Department Manufacturing Services of Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute (HEDI) a division of NASENI, Dr Abdulfatai Ambali,  gave the assurance during a Focus Group Meeting with stakeholders by the agency in Dutse.

The stakeholders include industrialists, local manufacturers and technology innovators, among others.

According to Ambali, the focus meeting was convened to discuss strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and boosting patronage of locally made products.

He described NASENI as pivotal to national development and urged consumers to actively support made in Nigeria products while calling on manufacturers to uphold quality standard.

“This meeting was basically based on made-in-Nigeria products because by our mandate, we are to develop home based technology for the country and we now have what we call 3Cs, which is; collaboration, creation and commercialisation,” he said.

He explained that under collaboration, the agency partners with individuals, groups, organisations and the academia where students and lectures venture into various research works.

“Most of these research works by our students are just kept in our universities, so we are trying through collaboration to ensure that such ideas come to life to benefit Nigerians,” he said

Ambali added that under creation principle, there was skills development where series of training and innovation were established for Nigerian youths and local manufacturers.

According to him, under the principle of commercialisation, the agency is making efforts to ensure that whatever is achieved through collaboration and creation get to the market.

He noted that if local products were not being patronised by Nigerians, all investments being made by government and other collaborators become a waste, adding that it was what the agency was making frantic efforts to correct.

He said the agency was not satisfied with the level of patronage for locally made products by Nigerians, hence the focus group meeting to create awareness.

He expressed the hope that at the end of the programme, there would be more patronage, value and improvement on locally made products.

He encouraged Nigerians to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products, while also appealing to manufacturers to ensure that their products meet top-quality standards.

“We are making sure that these products are up to standard. At NASENI we have various departments looking into quality of products, we are collaborating to ensure that these products compete globally.

“NASENI will make sure that these products have the same standard with those being imported into the country. The whole idea is stop such importation so that we rely on our own products and become self reliant,” Ambali said.

A participant, Mrs Fatima Ibrahim, commended the agency for the programme, saying that it will go a long way in promoting patronage of locally made products among Nigerians.

She also urged the agency to support local manufacturers to enhance their production.

Another participant, Muhammad Ibrahim, lauded the agency for organising the meeting,

According to him, this is what has never been done before, because you have less than 10 per cent of the participants knowing about NASENI, but today, people in Jigawa can boast of knowing the agency and what they do.

Ibrahim said that the meeting was an eye opener that would contribute to increasing local production and enhancing acceptability.

“This will encourage local production and domestication of all our products. This is a worthy effort and Nigerians should key into it,” he said.