₦airaland Forum

FG to lose N188bn on food import waiver – Customs

The Federal Government may forfeit N188.37bn worth of revenue due to the duty waiver granted for staple foods importation in six months, the Nigeria Customs Service announced on Tuesday.

It also announced that the country spent N3.82tn on the importation of wheat, beans, rice, and maize between 2020 and 2023

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja while speaking on the theme, ‘Facilitating food trade through efficient Customs process: Best practices’.

In his speech, made available to our correspondent by the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the customs boss, said the forfeiture represents the government’s commitment to prioritising food security over short-term revenue goals.

On July 8, 2024, the Federal Government announced a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities to ensure a reduction in food inflation in Nigeria. The food commodities include maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas.

The government also collaborated with states to expand land cultivation across the country.

Consequently, the government suspended duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities through land and sea borders.

Giving updates on the directive, Adeniyi explained that the government’s initiatives, while crucial for addressing the nation’s food security challenges, have significant implications for the customs service.

According to him, as the agency responsible for trade facilitation and revenue collection at the borders, the NCS finds itself at the intersection of these policies and their practical implementation.

He pointed out that the most immediate and substantial implication is the revenue forfeiture, as the government has committed to making food more accessible and affordable for its citizens.

“The removal of tariffs and import duties on key staples, rice, wheat, maize, and sorghum (beans) for the next six months represents a considerable sacrifice in terms of potential revenue.

“Projecting based on recent trends, we estimate that the six-month tariff suspension could result in a revenue forfeiture of approximately N188.37bn,” Adeniyi said.

Analysing this, he explained that from 2020 to 2023, the total import of these food items, including beans, maize, rice, and wheat, was N3.82tn

“During this period, these commodities generated N192bn in customs duty and N562bn in levies paid to the government,” the CGC said.

The customs boss added that wheat alone accounted for N3.78tn in import value, generating N189bn as duty and N561bn as levy.


“Maize imports were valued at N34.3bn, contributing N2.3bn in duty. Rice, despite import restrictions, saw N195m in import value, yielding N19m in duty and N97m in levy. Beans imports were valued at N731m contributing N146m in duty,” Adeniyi stated.

He maintained that the figures highlighted the significant revenue implications of the new policy.

Meanwhile, Adeniyi stated that the Compressed Natural Gas initiative of the President, while not related to food, would reduce transportation costs by approximately 60 per cent.

“This could indirectly but significantly benefit food security by potentially lowering food transportation costs, making food more affordable across the country,” he said.

He quoted the National Bureau of Statistics as saying that Nigeria imported N920bn worth of food items in the first quarter of 2024, representing a surge of 95.28 per cent from N471bn recorded in the same quarter of 2023

Adeniyi said that despite government efforts to boost local food production, the rising food import bill underscores significant challenges in achieving food security and stabilising domestic prices.

Nevertheless, Adeniyi reiterated the NCS’s commitment to ensure full implementation of the government’s directive of import duty waiver.

He mentioned that the service must swiftly adapt its systems and procedures to implement the tariff suspensions efficiently.

“The removal of tariffs is likely to lead to a surge in food imports. We must prepare for this increased volume, ensuring that our ports and border stations can handle the influx without creating bottlenecks.

“With the removal of tariffs on specific items, there’s a risk of misclassification or misdeclaration of goods. We must enhance our inspection and verification processes to prevent abuse of this policy,” Adeniyi added.

He noted that the service has started noticing improvement in recent government policies like the drop in the prices of food items.

In another development, the customs boss on Tuesday handed over the affairs of the World Customs Organisation West and Central Africa sub-region to the new Vice Chairman of the organisation, Ahmadou Konate, after two years in office.

In his address at the handover ceremony in Abuja, Adeniyi said the years he spent was fulfilling and charged the incoming vice chair to bring in measures that will put customs administration together in the region.

He, however, noted that the customs administration is challenged with funding issues and advised Konate to make adequate funding a priority to enhance and increase revenue in the region.

Responding, Konate expressed appreciation to Adeniyi and pledged to continue with the momentum of his predecessors to achieve the goals of the World Customs Organisation.

obiekunie01:
oga pls be brave! be a warrior!

yes you wasted million of innocent women, children and elderly, yes you dd that and its good to brag about it.

but pls just go and attack any igboman near you lets see how it goes.

Macphenson:
k

VikingKing:
Stop playing politics with peoples lives. Nigerians are hungry as hell! Open the goddam borders let food come in. WTF is a fucken agro-ranger? Why are these people toying with peoles lives??

garykoeman:
Na their uncouth mouth dey always put them for wahala.

JagabanB:
As much as I can't see the source of this supposed warning.
If ohaneze really issued a warning, it clearly shows how lgb0s want attention because I don't understand why a Twitter handle will generate so much noise.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has sent some demands to the federal government regarding the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The NLC demands were contained in a communique signed by its president, Joe Ajaero and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja and issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Wednesday.

The labour union demanded a reversal of harmful government policies and immediate relief measures to soothe the sufferings of Nigerians.

It also condemned the needless killing of protesters by security operatives and declared a day of mourning to honour those who were injured or killed during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests across the country.

The NLC further called out the security agencies for using violence against protesters and neglecting other security issues affecting the nation.

It added that protest is a constitutional right of the people, and the government must stop its officials from meddling and sponsoring disruptions of protests by the people.

“The NEC-in-session noted that the Government cannot hope to stop a democratic protest by threatening the people who are already losing their lives by the unrepentant massacre of unarmed protesters by the Police but by concrete actions and reasonable dialogue.

“The NEC condemns in the strongest terms the human rights violations perpetrated by security forces against peaceful protesters. The right to protest is a fundamental democratic right, and its suppression through violence is unacceptable. The attempt to criminalize protest is completely deplorable, especially in a democracy. The hiring and use of sponsored thugs and divisive propaganda to scuttle the protests is most unfortunate

“In light of the foregoing, the NEC resolves as follows:

Demand for Policy Reversal:
The NLC demands the reversal of all the ill-conceived policies that have led to the current economic crisis. The government must implement policies that prioritize the welfare of the people, create jobs, and ensure fair distribution of resources.

“Call for a Day of Mourning: NEC– in–Session mandates the national leadership to decide on the day NLC will set aside as a National Day of Mourning in honour of those who were maimed and lost their lives in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests.

“Call for Accountability:
The NEC calls for an independent investigation into the killings and maiming of protesters. Those responsible for these heinous acts must be held accountable, and justice must be served to the victims and their families. All the peaceful protesters held illegally and unconstitutionally in the Government’s gulag must be freed without delay.

“Dialogue and Engagement:
The NEC-in-session urges the federal government to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the protesters, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to resolve all the issues at stake to end the national carnage.
This is to avoid NLC being compelled to direct its members to stay home for the safety of their lives.

“Immediate Relief Measures:
The government must implement immediate relief measures to alleviate the suffering of workers and the general populace. This includes the provision of direct food aid, subsidies on essential commodities, and other social safety nets in a way that would reach the people and not be hijacked by politicians.

“Stop Politically motivated Meddling: The NEC – in – Session calls on the federal government to restrain its officials especially the Minister of Labour and the Registrar of Trade Unions from colluding with retrogressive political elements seeking to abridge our rights as workers and trade unions to political participation. We demand the immediate withdrawal of that intrusive and misplaced unsolicited advice from the Registrar of Trade Unions to avert an industrial crisis as the Congress and its affiliates will stop recognising and relating with him.

“Strengthening Solidarity: The NEC finally calls on all Nigerian workers to remain united and resolute in their demands for better governance. Solidarity is our strength, and together, we can amplify the voices of the people and demand justice and accountability,” the communique read in part.

muyico:
I didn't like this man calls ajero from day1, he hates APC!

Liverpool's Muslims shocked by UK riots.

Most entrances have been blocked, men in high-vis jackets have been taking turns to patrol and a handful of worshippers have been sleeping inside at night — all necessary precautions, say officials at the Al-Rahma Mosque, during the UK's worst riots in years.

The increased vigilance comes as some Muslims and ethnic minorities in Liverpool say they feel unsafe amid widespread violent, racist protests targeting mosques, immigration centres and hotels that haven't spared the famously left-leaning city in the north of England.

Both mosque officials and other Muslims in Liverpool described feeling shocked, after two mosques further north in England were targeted by violent mobs and hundreds of anti-immigration protesters and counterprotesters clashed in central Liverpool. Shops were looted and some police were injured.

A second mosque in Liverpool, the Abdullah Quilliam, which describes itself as Britain's first, has temporarily closed due to the violence, which was fuelled by a false narrative spread online that the killer of three girls in nearby Southport last week was an Islamist migrant.

Protests turn violent in Sunderland as UK unrest spreads after Southport killings
Northumbria Police said its officers had been "subjected to serious violence" and they were continuing to deal with ongoing disorder.

“I was born here, I was raised here. So seeing this, it just doesn't feel like home,” said Abdulwase Sufian, a 20-year-old student who helps at the Al-Rahma, referring to himself as a “Scouser”, the colloquial term for someone from Liverpool.

“Seeing what's happened, it's got me scared, not just for myself, but for the future,” he said, the yellow dome and pink-and-yellow minarets of the Al-Rahma behind him as dozens of men finished afternoon prayers and left.

Sufian added that the separate female entrance for the mosque, which serves a wide range of Muslims from ethnic Yemeni to Pakistani, had been closed to discourage women from visiting in the evenings, out of safety concerns.

He himself hasn't stepped outside his immediate neighbourhood out of fears for his safety, Sufian said, a sentiment echoed by others in the community.

Saba Ahmed, a community worker and another Liverpudlian Muslim, said she had felt “terrified” in recent days, and her 15-year-old son was preferring to spend his summer holidays indoors on his PlayStation.

Still, many of Ahmed's white English friends had been supportive, she said, with some neighbours offering to do the grocery shopping for her so she could remain safe at home.

“That's our people in Liverpool, that's our fellow neighbours here,” she said.
Others have been less fortunate.

Farmanullah Nasiri, a taxi driver, described being assaulted after picking up two passengers from Aigburth Road, Liverpool, in the early hours of Tuesday.

One of them, a woman, punched him on the face and broke his dashcam as she left his silver Ford Focus, after starting an argument over the fare and after abusing him once she learnt he was an ethnic Afghan, Nasiri said.

A 17-year-old male already in custody has been charged with murder for the deaths of three young girls.

Two children were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed event in northwest England, and a 17-year-old male suspect was arrested, police said on.

“This is kind of a racism ... Been here for more than 10 years in Liverpool. Everybody's friendly. There's no issue like this before. This is the first time,” Nasiri said.

Tell MAMA, a group which monitors anti-Muslim incidents, has received over 500 calls and online reports of anti-Muslim behaviour from across the UK in the past week, a five-fold increase from the week before, its director Iman Atta told Reuters, describing Muslim communities as “terrorised.”

Anti-Muslim hate has been growing in the UK even before the start of the riots, and particularly after the start of the conflict in Gaza last year, the group says.

Over one in four in a survey of 550 British Muslims last month said they had faced an anti-Muslim hate incident in the last year, Tell MAMA said.

Amid all the tension, Muslim community leaders are advising calm, at a time when many young men in the community might feel tempted to respond.

Footage from Sky News earlier this week showed a large group of mostly Asian men with Palestinian flags gathering in an area of Birmingham following rumours of a far-right protest at the site, which did not materialise. Police said a man was assaulted and a pub window was smashed, and have charged one man for possession of an offensive weapon.

The rival, counter protests have included both White and non-White people describing themselves as anti-racist, anti-fascist or pro-Palestinian. Sometimes extreme left-wing anarchists have also taken part.

Community leaders are discouraging such gatherings.

“We don't want these counter protests or these large groups of young people turning up because that's the spark that we don't need ... so we need to be very careful,” said Sajjad Amin, trustee of the UKIM Khizra Mosque in Manchester, 30 miles (50km) from Liverpool.

Some Muslim leaders recounted tensions being defused.

Adam Kelwick, an imam at the temporarily-closed Abdullah Quilliam mosque, said it had been “prepared for the worst” when anti-immigration demonstrators gathered outside last week, but protesters calmed down after offers of food and dialogue.

“All it took was a few burgers and some chips and some genuine intention from our side,” he said, speaking from near the chained up gates of the Victorian-era mosque.

The Muslim population in England and Wales stood at 3.9 million people, or 6.5% of the total, as of 2021.

The heightened tension has unnerved both that community and others. On Tuesday evening rumours of a far-right gathering prompted shops on Lawrence Road to down their shutters early.

Local resident Santhosh Thomas, an ethnic Indian, helped chain up two large metal road signs to the fence of a nearby church, to discourage their use as weapons.

He said his brown skin made him a target, regardless of his religion. “It's not just Muslims ... everyone is scared,” Thomas said, as a police van arrived on Lawrence Road.

adamusuleiman3:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/08/over-500-persons-defect-to-apc-in-abia/

Gjrich:
States That Refuse To Participate In Today Nationwide Protest

1. Kogi State
2. Benue State
3. Imo State
4. Abia State
5. Anambra State
6. Enugu State
7. Ebony State

Akaegwu:
Your secrets have been revealed. FM radio on chinko phone. You no dey shame?

OnlineTeacher:
Don't be deceived; u know they say what they don't mean and mean what they don't say. The fact that they didn't protest in alaigbo didn't mean they didn't participate in the 'diaspora'.

If u monitored today's programs on wazobia fm and Nigeria info fm you will know they participated in today's protest in lagos.

They were calling in and giving feedback about the activities on ground at the respective protest grounds.

You can visit the wazobia fm and nigeria info websites for a playback of today's programs for confirmation.

They are gaslighting the naive sw and northerners to be the arrowheads while they lay low in the background doing the d3vil's, and form passiveness offline despite participating actively physically

zeuss:
Benue should have been a hot bed of protest....the way their lives are wasted regularly by herdsmen is disturbing......well they were killed by security operatives enmass during their last protest attempt.

GratefulSoul27:
It's a good thing they didn't protest they'd have blamed igbos for everything that happened today

SammyB67:
Just wandering no pictures or videos of protest coming from south East abi dey no do protest

Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has mooted plans to delve into steel production in the near future stating that he wants to ensure that every steel used in West Africa comes from Nigeria.

The industrial mogul stated this during an interview at the ongoing Afreximbank Afro-Caribbean Trade & Investment Forum in Nassau, The Bahamas.

When asked if he is taking a break after the refinery, he noted that the next venture after the refinery project would be in Steel manufacturing and ensure that all Steel products used in West Africa comes from Nigeria.

He also encouraged African leaders to take agriculture and solid mineral development seriously lamenting the fact that food imports cost the continent dearly by increasing unemployment and poverty.

He said, “What we need to do that is missing is actually to concentrate and pay more attention to agriculture and solid minerals.
I don’t like people coming to take our solid minerals to process and bring the finished product.
We should try and industrialise our continent and take it to the next level.”

“I told somebody we are not going to take any break. What we are trying to do is to make sure at least in West Africa, we want to make sure that every single steel that we use will come from Nigeria”

Nigeria has tried unsuccessfully to become a leader in the steel manufacturing industry with a handful of failed projects like the Ajaokuta steel plant, Delta Steel Company, Osogbo and Jos rolling mills even under government and private ownership.

Like the oil refineries, the federal government under different administrations has spent billions trying to put the local steel plants to work but has been unsuccessful.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu had promised during the campaigns to ensure steel production starts in the multi-billion-dollar Ajaokuta steel complex.

The federal government in the 2024 appropriation act budgeted around N4.45 billion for the plant but hopes to raise around N35 billion from private investors to bring the plant to life for the first time in its history.

However, the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu has also stated that reviving the plant could cost around $2 billion to $5 billion.

According to the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), total steel consumption in the country averages around 10 million metric tonnes of which 70% is imported.
The current Minister of Steel Development had earlier stated that Nigeria spends around $4 billion on steel imports annually despite having around 74 steel plants and fabricators across the country.

Nigeria is home to significant iron-ore deposit- a critical raw material in steel production found in Kogi state.