Customs pledge support for South-South devt commission

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged the Service’s full support for the South-South Development Commission, saying the new body could serve as a driver of regional economic growth through strategic collaboration with Customs.

According to a recent statement by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Miawada, Adeniyi made this disclosure when the SSDC’s Managing Director, Usoro Akpabio, led her team on a courtesy visit to the Customs House in Abuja.

While congratulating the CGC on her appointment, Adeniyi noted that the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 had introduced far-reaching reforms whose implementation required broad consultations, while also assuring that “Customs would keep conversations with the Commission open to ensure inclusivity and shared growth.

Given the urgency of the issues at hand, both institutions should meet again soon to mobilise broader stakeholder participation.”

He reiterated that Customs’ management, including officers from outside the South-South, are committed to supporting its mandate.

Adeniyi suggested the creation of a joint working team that would serve as a sounding board for partnership, especially in areas such as trade facilitation, border management, and economic integration.

The CGC said that the Service recently launched its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, designed to give back to host communities through projects that promote education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.

He stated that the initiative reflects the service’s broader commitment to inclusive growth and strengthens its partnerships with stakeholders across regions.

Akpabio commended the reforms and modernisation efforts undertaken by Customs, describing them as exemplary.

She explained that the Commission, barely three weeks after inauguration, had been saddled with a broad mandate covering the blue economy, agriculture, human capital development, infrastructure, and utilities across the entire South-South region.

Akpabio emphasised the importance of Customs in the region’s economic blueprint, given its substantial presence in seaports, oil and gas operations, free trade zones, and border activities.

She assured him that the Commission would pursue a strategic alliance with the Service that would outlive his tenure, promoting transparency, regional growth, and national development. 

PUNCH