The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun II Area Command, has intensified engagement with Free Trade Zone operators to strengthen trade facilitation, improve revenue generation and enhance national security.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller D.I. Ituma, made this known during a familiarisation and stakeholder engagement visit to CELPLAS Free Trade Zone, where he emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration between Customs, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and businesses operating within the Zone.
Acting Customs Area Controller Ogun II Command Deputy Comptroller D.I. Ituma
Ituma stressed that the Service could not effectively discharge its statutory responsibilities without the cooperation of relevant stakeholders. He commended the management for its continued support and expressed satisfaction with the professionalism and performance of officers deployed to the facility.
He urged the operators to sustain their commitment to legitimate trade, regulatory compliance and revenue generation, while emphasising that national security must not be compromised. He also assured the management that operational challenges raised during the engagement would be addressed within the Command’s authority, while issues requiring higher intervention would be escalated appropriately.
In his response, the NEPZA Zone Administrator, Mr Tunde Olorunshola, commended Customs officers for their cooperation and cordial working relationship with businesses operating within the facility. He identified some of the enterprises as CELPLAS Industries FZE, Road Master Free Zone Enterprise, Europlus Free Zone Enterprise, Alpic Implex FZE and Lucky Stationery FZE.
Similarly, the Director of Finance, CELPLAS Free Trade Zone, Alhaji Kotun, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for maintaining a productive relationship with the Zone since its establishment in 2020. He particularly commended the Officer-in-Charge of CELPLAS, DC A.I. Enyam, for his diligence, professionalism and commitment to duty.
Discussions during the visit focused on raw material sourcing, importation, manufacturing processes and the operational challenges confronting businesses within the Free Trade Zone. The management explained that its production activities depended on a combination of locally sourced and imported raw materials, noting that the high cost of some locally available materials influenced its importation decisions.
As part of the engagement, the Acting Controller also toured Lucky Stationery FZE, where he commended the company’s investment in local manufacturing. The Plant Director, Mr Peter Ajakaiye, disclosed that the company’s workforce was entirely locally sourced.
Ituma noted that Free Trade Zones were established to attract Foreign Direct Investment, stimulate industrialisation and create employment opportunities. He encouraged more Nigerians to invest in local production despite the challenges facing the manufacturing sector.
He further observed that while some raw materials used by the enterprises were imported through Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports, a significant proportion of their finished products served the domestic market, with a smaller quantity destined for export.
The visit provided an opportunity for operational assessment, stakeholder consultation and renewed commitment to stronger institutional cooperation.
The Acting Controller reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to deepen stakeholder relationships, facilitate legitimate trade, strengthen compliance and ensure that economic activities within its jurisdiction align with the Nigeria Customs Service’s mandates of revenue generation, trade facilitation and national security.
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