The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to enhance environmental protection, trade efficiency, and regulatory enforcement.
During a courtesy visit by NESREA’s management team of the Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi highlighted the importance of inter-agency synergy in achieving national economic and security goals.
He emphasised that cooperation between Customs and NESREA has been instrumental in regulating environmentally sensitive imports at seaports and border stations.
“We recognise the importance of collaboration and partnership. Many of us have witnessed the golden era of synergy between customs and NESREA, whether at seaports or border stations. Our commitment to this partnership remains unwavering,” Adeniyi stated.
He noted that the World Customs Organisation, WCO, consistently advocates strong cooperation among regulatory agencies to enhance trade facilitation, environmental enforcement, and national security. Adeniyi also outlined the NCS’s recent achievements, including surpassing its N5.1 trillion revenue target by November 2024 and exceeding N6 trillion by December. He attributed this success to improved operational efficiency, strategic collaborations, and a technology-driven trade environment.
Adeniyi proposed deeper digital integration between NCS and NESREA, suggesting a seamless data-sharing system to improve regulatory enforcement. “If we can establish a digital handshake between our platforms seamlessly sharing data, approvals, and compliance information, we can significantly enhance environmental protection while improving trade efficiency,” he explained.
NESREA’s Director-General, Dr. Innocent Barikor, commended Customs for its progressive reforms and reiterated NESREA’s commitment to stronger collaboration. He stressed the need for stricter enforcement of environmental regulations, particularly in restricting hazardous imports.
“Customs and NESREA share a common law enforcement responsibility, especially at the nation’s borders,” Barikor stated. He outlined NESREA’s role in enforcing 35 environmental regulations covering air, land, and sea pollution as well as waste management.
Raising concerns over the increasing importation of end-of-life electronics and other hazardous goods, Barikor warned that improper disposal of these items poses serious environmental and health risks. “Some organisations are importing goods that no longer align with environmental best practices, particularly electronic waste. Our inability to manage the resulting hazardous chemicals is already affecting our ecosystem,” he cautioned.
He asked Customs to strengthen enforcement against environmentally unsafe imports and urged greater participation in environmental advocacy, regulatory policy making, and compliance monitoring. He also emphasised the need for joint training programs and capacity-building initiatives to enhance collaboration between both agencies.
The renewed partnership between NCS and NESREA is expected to improve environmental safety, ensure stricter enforcement of import regulations, and foster a more structured and technology-driven approach to trade and regulatory compliance.
Crediblenewsng.com
