Newly Launched B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System Will Promote Efficiency, Boost Trade – Says Comptroller Olomu
Newly Launched B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System Will Promote Efficiency, Boost Trade – Says Comptroller Olomu
By Asuquo Nuwak
The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Customs Command of Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, has announced that the newly launched B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System platform will enhance import and export trade, especially under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
During a strategic engagement with Lucky Fiber Ltd, manufacturers of synthetic hair extensions and hair care products with the brand name Lush Hair, a Nigerian company involved in export trade, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, noted that Apapa port would always provide enabling environment for compliant traders to operate.
Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, who handed over trade documents to Mr Olusegun Olutayo, a senior international trade policy and law expert of Nigeria’s AfCFTA coordination office, and Mr Girdhar Chandak, the commercial Head of Lucky Fibres Ltd, on Wednesday 30th October, 2024 at the command Headquarters, Apapa, Lagos, also disclosed that “Customs Help Desk” is available for support at all times.
The Customs Area Controller, said Nigeria is poised for economic growth as the AfCFTA agreement fuels intra-African trade, and would unlock new opportunities. Besides, he said by building on Lucky Fibres Ltd’s groundbreaking export, Nigeria will aggressively pursue expanded trade partnerships under AfCFTA, paving the way for a prosperous economic future.
In his presentation, Assistant comptroller Olusola Salako, the releasing officer at Lilypond Export Command, who spoke during the strategic engagement said, Nigeria Customs Service is using the latest technology in ensuring that AfCFTA is successful in Africa, since the opportunity was given to the service to play a pivotal role under the agreement.
He is quoted as saying that: “The Nigerian Customs Service has been able to work with the agreement and advanced technology, leading to the recent launching of B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System. As trade has become more global, hence the major reasons why the service went back to the drawing board to improved on the technology which is expected to really help us in facilitating trade”.
In his words: ”This new technology will cover up all the lapses experienced by exporters and would create a robust synergy between countries. We also have dedicated ports, such as Lilypond port that would enable business owners export seamlessly, encourage them to export more goods than import, as this is what the country needs right now .It would also brings about foreign exchange, the only way we can achieve this, is for us to trade legitimately so that Nigerians can have nothing to worry about, when it comes to exporting their products out of the country.”
Mr Olutayo who spoke on plans being put in place by the government to encourage SMEs to key into AfCFTA, also said small business owners are already embracing the initiative and it’s not just about big business owners who are trying to export their products .
In the words of Mr Olutayo: ”The beauty of AfCFTA is that everybody is welcome onboard. Everybody will always have market they can trade, adding that President Bola Tinubu, has approved the establishment of an AfCFTA Readiness Fund for Nigerian businesses”.
At the end of strategic engagement, he said this fund is aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) take advantage of the opportunities presented to them and we are working with the right institution to ensure that these funds get to SMEs in order to encourage them.
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