The Federal Government of Nigeria has revealed plans to introduce a single window for data across many sectors and agencies, so as to block revenue leakages in the country.

Speaking during a presentation at the 2017 International Customs Day celebration in Abuja, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun (photo), said the effective use of data analysis would help reduce smuggling and aid effective border management in the country.

“The effective use of data in the daily operations of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will help facilitate trade with other partner countries and boost the GDP of Nigeria,” she said.

Data generation from Customs core function such as trade facilitation, border security and revenue collection assists the government in the design and implementation of effective policies

Adeosun stated that Nigeria cannot have proper planning in budgeting and even in addressing issues of the public, without proper analysis of data. She added that data sharing among other agencies are necessary and important to reduce revenue leakages, especially in the management of some fiscal incentive.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General, World Customs Organization (WCO), Kunio Mikuriya, who was represented by the Comptroller International, Ibrahim Maikarfi, said that the development in ICT and its extensive usage had made the collection of data and access to open data easier.

Anita Fatunji