$3.2b e-Customs project begins soon after stalling 2 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Dispute among consortium partners delayed implementation of the $3.2 billion contract for the full automation of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2020.
Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed, who made the disclosure in Abuja, said the e-Customs project will soon commence as the partner uncomfortable with the original agreement has opted out.
She explained the reason for a new e-Customs concession agreement between the NCS, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), and China’s Huawei Technologies.
Her words: “The e-customs project was approved by Council [FEC) and there were some challenges that had to do with disagreements between the concession partners.
“Remember that government was not a partner of the concession, it was a group of different investing parties that came together and formed the consortium.”
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New concession agreement
“The Attorney General and Minister of Justice has intervened. There were several number of meetings to try to iron out the difference.
“So, it has to do with shareholders, who has what responsibility. And at the end of the day, I think one of the partners in the concession did not agree with the arrangements,” Ahmed added, per Vanguard.
“So, the partner that signed was already in the initial concession. So, one party did not agree with the terms that are signed. And there is a new agreement that had been signed and that partner was reported to have opted out of the concession.
“I haven’t seen the report yet but it was reported to have opted out of being in the concession. So, there is a new concession agreement that has been committed.
“And on the part of the ministry and I know the Customs, what it means is that the implementation of the e-Customs project can now start with this resolution.”
NCS Comptroller General Hameed Ali, who signed the new contract, anticipates the NCS would generate $176 billion from e-Customers over the next 20 years.