No fewer than 2,233 containers of cocoa bean were exported by the Ondo-Ekiti Customs Command from January to August 2021.
Nigeria is the world’s fifth-biggest producer of cocoa beans, a key ingredient in chocolate.
iBrandTV gathered that Cocoa bean or simply cocoa is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids (a mixture of nonfat substances) and cocoa butter (the fat) can be extracted.
This development is a major boost to Nigeria’s export diversification policies through agriculture.
According to the Controller of the Ondo/Ekiti Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Uche Ngozi, we operate on an off-dock area in the zone, which is neither seaport, international airport nor border
Speaking during a working visit of the Zonal Coordinator of NCS, Zone A, ACG Modupe Aremu, in Akure, she stated that the area command generated revenue through interventions from the appraisal of Demand Notice (DN) on vehicles with duty infringement, collection of duty from parcel post and excise and supervision of cocoa exportation.
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“From July 5 that I assumed office as the controller, the command recorded a remarkable increase in revenue recovery with the sum of N27,919,502 for July and August against N19,618,387 for same months in 2020, an increase of N8,238,115.”
She added that customs is working with the Cooperate Affairs Commission seeking approval for excise license factories.
Meanwhile, the controller of Oyo/Osun Area Command, Cer Adamu Abdulkadir said that the command generated N23 billion from January to August, stating that the command generated N10 billion in June, had 169 seizures and 13 suspects.