Cross River State Government has sought a high-level collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to revitalise Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ), Tinapa Business Resort, and others.

The government expressed confidence that the strengthened partnership would yield significant dividends for economic development, national security, and revenue generation.

Cross Rivers State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, made the call on Wednesday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, at the NCS Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

Otu’s spokesman, Nsa Gill, in a statement, said the meeting focused on deepening collaboration in key areas, including export promotion, the revitalization of the CFTZ, Tinapa Business Resort, and support for the over 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently hosted by the state.

The governor declared the government’s intention “to ramp up export activities and sought Customs’ expertise in facilitating seamless export procedures for local producers and genuine businesspeople in the state.”

The governor also shared updates on ongoing economic initiatives, including the development of the Bakassi Deep Sea Port, stressing the vital role of Customs in ensuring their success.

He appealed for “enhanced Customs presence and operations to inject life into the economic zones in the state, particularly Tinapa Free Zone and the CFTZ.”

Otu commended the Customs Service for its outstanding role in national revenue generation and security, acknowledging its impressive ₦6.1 trillion revenue haul in 2024.

He noted that the Cross River Command contributed approximately ₦200 billion to this feat, underscoring the state’s strategic relevance.

He also praised the professionalism and dedication of Customs officers deployed to the State, particularly those engaged in anti-smuggling operations at the Mfum and Ikang borders with Cameroon.

To support their work, he revealed that the state government recently donated operational vehicles to the Cross River Customs Command to strengthen surveillance capacity.

In his response, the CGC, Adeniyi, expressed appreciation for the state government’s recognition and support.

He detailed recent initiatives by the Service to improve trade facilitation, including the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programmes and the Advanced Ruling System (ARS), which have significantly enhanced Nigeria’s trade environment.

These reforms, he noted, “contributed to the Nigeria Customs Service’s improved performance ranking in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) assessment.”

Adeniyi welcomed the Governor’s commendation of Customs personnel in Cross River and pledged the Service’s full support for the revival of Tinapa and the success of other economic projects in the state.

“Our trade facilitation programmes were designed from the blueprint provided by the President in his policy advisory document at the inception of the administration,” the CGC said.

He assured that the “NCS is committed to supporting Cross River State’s economic vision through efficient customs procedures, particularly at Tinapa and the upcoming Bakassi Deep Sea Port.”