Lilypond Customs export declines in q4 despite $2.1bn annual total
BY TEMITOPE ADEBAYO
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Lilypond Export Command, Lagos, facilitated the export of agricultural produce and manufactured goods worth $2.1 billion in 2024, but recorded a decline in the fourth quarter due to logistics challenges and reduced global demand.
The command’s Area Controller, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, disclosed this in Lagos, noting that while agricultural produce led the non-oil export sector, overall exports in Q4 fell due to a shortage of empty cargo containers and the seasonal drop in demand for raw materials.
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He stated that total shipments in Q4 declined by 16.44 per cent from $937.3 million to $783.2 million, while the tonnage of exported goods dropped by 22.49 per cent to 314,671 metric tons. Duty paid on previously imported goods also fell by 32.39 per cent.
Despite the Q4 decline, Odusanya highlighted a 32.5 per cent increase in revenue from the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS), rising from N5.33 billion to N7.06 billion, underscoring resilience in non-oil exports.
Odusanya assured stakeholders of ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency, combat illicit trade, and ensure compliance with international export standards, particularly for agricultural products destined for markets in China, Japan, and Thailand.
