The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Lilypond Export Command in Lagos has announced the processing of $937 million worth of agricultural and manufactured goods exports during the third quarter of 2024.
Area Controller Ajibola Odusanya, speaking at a press briefing in Ijora, Lagos on Thursday, attributed the significant increase in export figures to the consolidation of export operations under the command.
He revealed that the third quarter figures marked a 407% rise compared to $184 million processed in the second quarter of 2024.
In September alone, the command handled 3,363 export containers, weighing a total of 221,961.53 metric tonnes, with an export value of $202 million. The bulk of this export value came from agricultural commodities, such as sesame seeds and hibiscus flowers, which contributed $93.7 million, while manufactured goods accounted for $65 million.
Odusanya further disclosed that the command generated N1.45 billion through the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) in September, reflecting the command’s growing export activities. Additionally, N88 million was collected in duties on previously imported goods, in compliance with the 2022 Fiscal Policy of the Federal Government.
The volume of exported goods surged by 368%, rising from 86,783.93 metric tons to 405,979.72 metric tons during the third quarter. NESS collections also saw a 733% increase, climbing from N640 billion to N5.3 trillion, while duties on previously imported goods rose from N29 million to N136 million, marking a 359% increase.
Odusanya credited the impressive results to improved export processing capacity, enhanced tracking systems, and stricter enforcement of customs regulations.
He emphasized that the consolidation of export seats at all Lagos ports under the command significantly reduced bureaucratic delays, accelerated export documentation, improved compliance, and enhanced transparency in the export value chain.
“The centralization of export operations has streamlined the entire process, eliminating previous bottlenecks and improving both processing speed and regulatory compliance,” Odusanya stated.