By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reiterated its commitment to developing strategies to address challenges affecting businesses, cross-border activities and revenue collection in Niger State.
The Zonal Coordinator, Zone B of the NCS, Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) Nsikak Umoh, stated this in Minna during the continuation of the Service’s periodic consultation and stakeholders’ engagement across the zone.
Umoh visited the Niger/Kogi Area Command headquarters as part of the ongoing zonal oversight aimed at assessing operational readiness and strengthening the Service’s mandate across Zone B.
During the visit, she interacted with officers and personnel of the command and engaged stakeholders as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration, facilitate legitimate trade and improve revenue collection.
The engagement focused on operational procedures within the Free Trade Zone, anti-smuggling efforts and strategies for addressing challenges affecting businesses and cross-border activities in the state.
Stakeholders at the meeting, however, called on the NCS to reopen the Babanna border, which they said had been closed since 2018.
They said the prolonged closure had negatively affected economic activities and legitimate trade among communities along the border.
The stakeholders appealed to the Customs Service and relevant authorities to reconsider the closure and explore measures to facilitate legitimate cross-border trade while maintaining effective border security and anti-smuggling operations.
On revenue generation, Umoh commended the Niger/Kogi Area Command for exceeding its N17 million revenue target, saying the command had generated about N200 million as of August 12, 2026.
She said the performance demonstrated the commitment of the command’s officers and personnel to fulfilling the Service’s revenue collection mandate.
The engagement provided an opportunity for the NCS and stakeholders to explore practical measures to promote legitimate trade, strengthen revenue collection and enhance border security across Niger State.
