The Tincan Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service recorded a notable growth in goods exports, reaching N489.2 billion in 2023, a significant increase over the previous year.
Area Comptroller, Dera Nnadi announced this during a news conference in Lagos, crediting the success to the Enforcement and Anti-smuggling Unit, which led to 96 detentions and 47 seizures.
Nnadi stated that the products shipped through Tincan Island Port totaled 623,694.7 metric tones, with a total free on-board value of N489.2 billion.
In a FOB agreement, the seller bears the expense of delivering goods to the port and loading them on the ship. Once loaded, the buyer becomes responsible for all aspects, including transportation, insurance, and unloading the goods.
“This is an impressive growth with a notable increase of 85.5% in tonnage and 101.9 per cent increase in FOB value when compared to the year 2022,” he added.
He highlighted the agricultural items shipped by the command during the review year, which included cocoa and soya beans, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, hibiscus flower, and others.
“Products made locally include cosmetics, hair attachments, Indomie noodles, beverages, cigarettes, and insecticides.
“Mineral resources such as lithium ore, tin ore, fluorite ore, aluminium ingots and lead ingots and others,” he went on to say.
Nnadi discussed the recovered commodities, including 1,264 bundles of hemp weighing 473.50kg and worth at N118.4 million that were hidden in several containers among eight seizures.
Furthermore, items such as used clothing, fridges, matches, tomato paste, unregistered pharmaceutical products, bulk charcoal, arms, ammunition, used shoes, used clothing, supermarket items, toilet paper, pharmaceutical and beauty products, water buffalo horns, frozen poultry, basmati rice, household goods, and military wears were discovered and seized.
The Duty Paid Value of these seized commodities, which included narcotics, was N47.4 million, for a total of N3.2 billion.
The port also handled a large number of containers, with 50,297 used from January to December 2023, including 15,289 20ft containers, 34,557 40ft containers, and 451 45ft containers.
Importantly, 1,430 new and 434 old vehicles were imported through the port during this time. In terms of money generation, the enforcement unit’s actions yielded demand notices totaling N210.8million.
