The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excuse, has said the South West region produces the majority of revenue coming from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

This is as the lawmakers said that they would ensure that only career Customs officers would be appointed to the position of Comptroller General of Customs by the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).

Chairman of the committee, Leke Abejide stated this at the inauguration of committee members in Abuja on Wednesday.

He also said that the House of Representatives plan to conduct periodic reviews of Customs and excise laws to ensure that they remain relevant and effective in the face of changing economic and technological landscapes.

The Lawmaker described the passage and signing of the Customs and Excise Management Act as a major milestone in the efforts to streamline customs procedures, enhance trade facilitation, improve revenue generation, and promote economic growth.

He said, “NCS is a big institution with a lot of commands, which are divided into Zones A, B, and C, with the south west falling into the Zone A category.

According to him, most of the revenue comes from Zone A, which comprises Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, and Ogun in the South West region.

He said Lagos has the highest seaport among the six, adding that Zone B came with Kwara, Kogi, Niger, and the North West, while Zone C fell within Rivers and South East.

According to him, we need to do oversight in these places because we need to approve their budget, we must take a critical look at whatever comes in the budget.

He said the committee worked extra hard in the ninth assembly to ensure the functionality of the NCS, of which he was the chairman.

“I want to assure you that the committee on customs and excise will be steadfast in its pursuit of excellence.

“We will work tirelessly to enhance trade facilitation policies, modernize customs procedures, and foster a conducive environment for economic growth and development.”

Abejide said under the new Act, the NCS now had access to increased revenue via a new financing model of four per cent FOB, thus enabling it to operate more effectively and efficiently

The new Act also introduces a robust e-commerce system, aligning the NCS with global digital trends and promoting rapid revenue generation and ease of doing business

He said another notable milestone of the Act is the establishment of a clear leadership structure for the Nigeria Customs Service.