By Godfrey Bivbere
LAGOS – In a bid to reduce the clearance time of imported containerized goods into the country through the Apapa Port, Lagos,  the Customs Area Controller, CAC, of Apapa Area1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Alhaji Idris Suleiman, has said that the pre-scanning of all containers through that port would commence next week.

Suleiman also said that the Command collected N19.4 billion in February, compared to N14.01 billion in January. He noted that as at the middle of March, the command’s revenue had already risen to N8 billion.

The Customs boss in a chat with maritime journalists in Lagos, said the pre-scanning of containerized consignments was being put together by the Command in conjunction with APM Terminal and the Service Provider, Cotecna Destination Inspection Nigeria Limited.

He pointed out that issues like joint examination would hence forth be a one-stop shop as congestion and long waiting time by trucks at the Apapa Port gate would be a thing of the past.

This, he continued is the outcome of the stakeholders meeting held recently in Lagos. He stressed that after the stakeholders meeting, another meeting of all security agents operating in the port was held, where the issue of joint examination was agreed upon.

According to him, all containers would henceforth be scanned on arrival before they are stacked at the terminal.

According to him, “any container with five homogeneous goods and above should be examined because of the problem, we are going to approve re_routing the cargoes to physical examination as a means to facilitate trade”.

The controller reiterated that once examination is done there will be no room for  another examination and that any container that has been scanned should be cleared for loading except when such containers are suspected,  it will be subjected to physical examination.