According to President Bola Tinubu, the lack of a comprehensive date has hampered Africa’s prosperity for decades, not just in Nigeria. Speaking Monday in Lagos at the Comptroller General of Customs Conference for 2023, Tinubu made this statement.
Speaking on the subject of “Leveraging data analytics for secure and efficient trade facilitation in customs operations,” Tinubu—represented by his vice, Kashim Shettima—stated that the lack of sufficient resources has made it difficult for the government to make wise decisions, which has resulted in a never-ending cycle of lost opportunities and subpar performance.
He clarified that the administration has chosen tech-savvy people for important public positions to address these issues. According to Tinubu, the appointments are made to guarantee both strategic planning and Nigeria’s development as a center of intellectual capital in the global knowledge economy.
The President pledged that his administration would address the historical shortcomings of Nigerian policymaking in addition to committing to using data to inform government choices.
Through the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), Tinubu claimed his administration was on track to create a strong public service system that maintains data integrity at its core and hopes to make Nigeria the destination of choice for all parties involved in export and import activities.
According to Tinubu, data also ensures the security of national borders since it makes it simple to track the movement of people and products across a particular border and to exchange information with other nations with a single keystroke on a computer.
He applauded the NCS’s goal to create a robust database and apply data analytics to create a public service system that maintains data integrity.
The conference’s theme, according to Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted the crucial role that technology plays in facilitating trade. He also stated that NCS is actively pursuing its commitment to employing careful data management to enhance trade and security while also positively involving stakeholders.
He declared that NCS would not stop until it achieved its objective of integrating and streamlining customs processes to meet international standards and make a major contribution to the nation’s economic growth.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, stated that the agency plays vital responsibilities in trade, revenue collection, and border security against the influx of illegal goods.
The governor stated that for the NCS to meet Tinubu’s N1 trillion GDP target, it must use technology to precisely evaluate data and show that it is capable of making well-considered decisions.
He added that Lagos State would continue to support commerce and generate revenue in addition to highlighting the crucial role the NCS plays in ensuring economic sustainability.
