President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Customs Service would enhance regional and continental trade and boost security in the country by helping to curtail the influx of illegal small arms and light weapons.
Speaking in Abuja during an audience with the visiting Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, Jonathan said that the reforms were necessitated by the need to redefine the core values and operations of the service.
He said with the reforms, the Nigerian Customs Service was being progressively modernised and given the additional role of trade facilitation.
He said: “I started out my career in the Nigeria Customs Service. Within that period and now, there have been significant changes. The role of the Customs Service as a trade facilitator is becoming more apparent. We promise you that the Nigerian government will continue to support reforms in the Customs. If we do things well, others will emulate us in the region.”
He congratulated the Secretary General on his re-election to lead the global body, saying that it must have been due to his strong leadership skills.
Earlier, Mikuriya said he had toured ports in Lagos and the Nigeria Customs College where well-motivated staff showed a readiness to learn and deploy new skills in their operations.
