By Stephen Ubanna
In spite of the initial problems experienced by stakeholders in adjusting to the new requirements of the B-Odogwu Technology, described in maritime circles as the Unified Customs Management system from the previous NICIS II, which was a foreign technology managed by Web Fountain, at the various Customs Formations across the country including Port Multi-services Terminal Limited, PTML, the industry stakeholder appears to have overcome it.
This is evident going by what is happening at the Apapa and Tin-can Island Commands where the duo of Comptrollers Babatunde Olomu and Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, who were said to have started implementing the upgraded game changer platform indigenous technology, managed by Trade Modernization Project, TMP, with the support of the Asian country of China based Hawei Technology company , found easy to use by Traders to maximize their business potentials.
Given the hardline position of Compt. Onyeka, the area Controller of Tin-can Island Command , when he was he was the officer in charge of the Apapa port exit gate where he had introduced several reforms with the backing of Compt. Olomu, who is still the Apapa Command Area Controller to block areas of revenue leakage through proper gate profiling of cargoes with the implementation of the Time Release Study and Advance Ruling system of the Comptroller General, was said to have enhanced trade facilitation and boost the service revenue at the Apapa Command.
I t was not surprising why cases of false declaration, under payment, concealment and other infringements at the port was very minimal. With the take- off of the B-odogwu facility, to facilitate seamless cargo profiling and delivery at the two Lagos ports which had joined PTML, in implementing the new system the Magazine findings shows that cases of infringement of the government fiscal policies had reduced considerably in the recent time at the Tin-can Island port .
This is because major stakeholders comprising of members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, National Association Of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APPFLON and other stakeholders who had learnt their lesson from the PTML experience on the need for proper declarations without thinking of cutting corners to take delivery of their clients cargoes without delay at the port have turned a new leaf to avoid playing into Compt. Olomu or Onyeka’s hands.
Compt. Onyeka, who was one of the newly promoted Comptrollers deployed to a Command appears to be using his experience at the Apapa exit gate and knowledge gained from the Leadership programme organized by the service Department of Human Resource Development and Training and Doctrine Command at the Customs and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory to invest on the on the training of the officers on the management of the B-Odogwu system.
Taking a cue from the Apapa Area Controller, Compt. Olomu, training initiative, he was said to have sustained the training of the officers of the Command Valuation, Enforcement, Scanning, Compliance and the exit gate officers on the implementation of the advanced B-Odogwu system. This may have informed why released cargoes shipped through the Tin-can Island are exited as at when do without much ado.
The Value News online Magazine, took time out recently to visit the Command premises at the port to observe what is happening around the Comptroller’s office. The usual crowd of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers, who usually flood the Comptroller’s visitor’s waiting room with the intention of seeing him to lodge their complains were few.
An insider confirmed that the Customs Comptroller was stunned when he came out from his office on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, to pick those who have appointment with him to see him in office but was shocked that the number he could find on ground. He was said to have addressed their problems as the aggrieved stakeholders who had emerged after the interaction with him his beamed with smiles as he could take decision instantly on their case since it is still within his powers to do so.
The source confirmed that since, the Tin-can Island Area Controller, has joined his Counterparts at Apapa Command and PTML, to implement the B-Odogwu system, no Containerized cargo had been stopped at the exit gate or rerouted back to the Tin-can Island examination bay for thorough profiling as the officers were said to be alive to their duties.
This may have informed why the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, Patrol Team officers stationed at strategic locations between the Tin-can Island port and Mile II, acting on information to stop and search Containers, released from the Lagos ports, and reroute suspected cargoes to their premises for proper examination may have been disappointed on the road as there are no suspected Containers to intercept, let alone seize, that was said to have been released from the Tin-can Island port as was the case in the past.
Many believes that the Tin can Island Area Controller who is acting out the script of the Customs Comptroller General that this is the last promotable rank in the service and therefore any officer elevated such a rank should endeavour to deliver on this mandate if deployed to a Command to block every loophole of revenue leakage in his Command. This may have forced the examination, releasing and exit gate officers at the Tin-can Island port to ensure that’’ the right thing is done’’ to avoid giving room to the FOU, Zone Patrol Teams making nonsense of their work at the port.
As a prelude to ensuring that the officers did not take advantage of the cancellation of the four percent Free On Board, FOB, levy on imports to do anything funny, may have informed why the the Tin-can Island Area Controller had at various times engaged a broad spectrum of importers, Freight Forwarders, Customs Brokers , Shipping Aents and other stakeholders on the new Customs policy and why it became necessary to do so to streamline the NCS, processes while improving efficiency and transparency within the country’s trade and importation landscape.
It was not surprising why there have not been any reported case of mistaken payment of the four percent FOB levy by any importer through his or her Agent at the port. This is where Comptroller Onyeka, who maritime analysts had said is following the footsteps of Compt. Olomu, in running the affairs of the Tin -can Island Command had made the difference compared to some of his contemporaries in their various Commands who are still struggling to get their bearings right.
A senior Customs officer had confirmed that the job of the gate officers at the Tin-can Island port has been made much easier in the recent time with the implementation of the B-Odogwu system, an indication that the Command will double its revenue generation in this month of March, 2025. and the remaining months of the year, 2025.
Maritime analysts believes the if Compt. Tenny Daniyan , Area Controller, PTML, could beat his chest that with the new indigenous technology, the Command has significantly improved its revenue collections between November , 2024 and now, it is a clear message that the Apapa and Tin-can Area Controllers, who were said to have already made substantial revenue collection in the month of January , 2025, which was said to have been paid into the Federation Account , the Commands will do much better i this month of March and beyond.
The PTML, Area Controller had said that the Command had collected and paid N150 billion in four months since the full implementation of the technology in November 2024.
Aware the that the Customs Management team, under the Leadership of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, are looking up to them to deliver on their ranking in the service as revenue mobilizers, to do much better this time around with the implementation the upgraded B’Odogwu, the duo, of Comptrollers Olomu and Onyeka appears to have prepared the ground to do so going by the structures which they have already set up to boost their respective Commands revenue targets.
