Banditry Cripples Customs Revenue in Northern Nigeria
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported that bandit activities are severely hindering its revenue generation efforts in Zone B, which covers several states in northern Nigeria. This was disclosed by the Customs Area Controller, Abba-Aji Idriss, during a meeting with the House Committee on Customs.
According to Idriss, the ongoing insecurity has forced the closure of most border areas under the NCS Zone B command. Specifically, he noted that only one of the twelve border areas in the Katsina Area Command is currently operational due to bandit activities.
This has had a direct and significant impact on revenue. The Katsina Area Command has been unable to generate any revenue from its border towns. The command's total revenue of N140 million for the first six months of the year was generated exclusively from non-border sources.
The issue is not limited to Katsina. The Sokoto/Zamfara Customs Area Command has also appealed to the Federal Government to reopen the Tsanya/Schgana border station to boost its internally generated revenue, indicating that similar challenges exist across the zone. The report highlights that this is a persistent problem, with previous reports also noting a decline in revenue collection due to bandit attacks in key border towns.
This situation underscores how insecurity in northern Nigeria is not just a humanitarian crisis but also a major obstacle to the nation's economic activities and revenue streams. The continued presence of bandits has effectively shut down critical border areas, thereby preventing legitimate trade and the collection of customs duties, which are vital for government revenue.
