By Seun Ibiyemi
The House of Representatives has intensified its investigation into alleged revenue leakages in Nigeria’s crude oil export chain, directing key government agencies to submit updated documents on pre-shipment inspection and the remittance of export proceeds.
The directive was issued on Wednesday by an ad hoc committee of the House during a public hearing in Abuja.
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Agencies asked to provide the documents include the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture.
Chairman of the committee, Seyi Sowunmi (LP–Lagos), said the probe was aimed at identifying gaps in the export monitoring system that could be responsible for significant losses in government revenue.
Sowunmi noted that the documents earlier submitted by the agencies were outdated and insufficient for the committee’s work, stressing the need for comprehensive and up-to-date records before the next hearing.
He said addressing revenue leakages was critical to ongoing economic reforms by the administration of Bola Tinubu.
“Part of the problems President Bola Tinubu is trying to solve is revenue leakage; we should account for every Naira that accrues to the nation. And that is what this committee seeks to achieve,” he said.
The lawmaker added that the agencies would be formally notified of the next date of appearance and when to submit the required documents.
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During the hearing, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said the service’s role in export processes is limited to verifying documentation and ensuring that goods exported correspond with the submitted records.
Represented by Deputy Comptroller-General Mrs. Caroline Diagwan, Adeniyi explained that customs officers conduct examinations and physical inspections at the export point but do not collect export duties.
“We make sure that the documents tally with what has been exported at the point of export,” he said.
He added that the service does not track how much revenue exporters pay to the government because the responsibility falls outside its mandate.
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso, also told the committee that the apex bank primarily serves as a coordinating platform for data and information generated by agencies involved in the export process.
Represented by a director, Dr. Musa Nakurji, Cardoso said the CBN Act of 1992 assigns the bank responsibility for the administrative aspects of pre-shipment inspection but does not empower it to appoint pre-inspection agents.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Abubakar Dantsoho, said the authority deploys agents at export terminals to monitor and relay information on export activities.
Represented by General Manager (Tariff), Mr. Ibrahim Lookman, Dantsoho said the authority works with other agencies within clearly defined legal roles at the terminals.
Also speaking, a director at Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture, Emmanuel Akeh, clarified that the organisation does not participate in crude oil exports.
According to him, the body only issues certificates of origin for non-oil exports to verify the authenticity of products leaving the country.
