By Stehen Ubanna
The Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, under the close watch of Barshir Adewale Adeniji, MFR, and whi incidentally I the Chairman of the World Customs Organisation, WCO, and the Nigerian Economic Society, NES, which has Adeola Adenikinju, a Professor as the President, moves to deepen their collaboration to drive the Nigeria’s economic growth.
The two parties may have seen the need to enhance their collaboration believed to be at lowest ebb ahead of the Society’s upcoming annual conference, scheduled for September 8-11, 2025, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. As a prelude to ensuring the full participation of the Adeniyi led NCS, Prof. Adenikinju, the NES, President, was said to have led a delegation of the Society Governing Council, alongside the FCT, Chairman, on a courtesy visit to the Customs Comptroller General on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
The CGC, was said to have taken advantage of the NES, Governing Council visit, to emphasize the need for stronger collaboration between the two parties ‘’to advance the country’s development agenda’’. He noted that while the NES, would provide ‘’evidence -based economic research and policy recommendations, the NCS, which is saddled with the core responsibility of trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations, would sustain its efforts in carrying out these pivotal roles and the enforcement of the nation’s fiscal policies that would directly shape the economy.
The CGC, who could not hide his feelings was said to have was said to have underscored the importance of aligning with the NES, economic research with the operational realities at the Land border stations across the country had said that ‘’it is the only way to foster policy efficiency and enhance the nation’s trade competitiveness with the trading partners.
Prof. Adenikinju, may have used the opportunity provided by the visit to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja, to official invite Adeniyi, the Customs, Comptroller General, ‘’to participate in the Organizations’ forth coming conference ‘’, stressing that that his insights would be invaluable’’ to the deliberations on the country’s economic transformation’’.
The Professor was said to highlighted that the NCS, unique access to data on trade patterns, revenue trends and cross-border economic activity positions makes it a crucial partner in ‘’shaping sound economic policies for the country’’. He may have gladdened the heart of the heart of the Customs Comptroller General and his Management team, when he broke the cheery news that he has been nominated for the 2025, Distinguished Public Service Award, DPSNES, described as one of the Society’s honours to be conferred to any public servant in Nigeria.
The award, the NES, President had s had said recognizes CGC Adeniyi’s Leadership in modernizing the country’s Customs operations, boosting revenue collection and implementing innovative trade facilitation measures that had strengthened the country’s economic stability and growth over the last two years.
An elated Prof Adenikinju had said that the NES award to celebrate Public Servants who had distinguished themselves in their job and had contributed in advancing the nation’s economic development objectives was a clear reflection of the transformative impact of the ongoing reforms in the Service under the Leadership of Adeniyi. The NES award is one of the several awards that had been bestowed on the CGC, between 2024 and now.
It would be recalled that the Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria, MJN, which currently has Dele Aderibigbe, as the President, has bestowed on the CGC, the’’ Iconic Maritime Personality of the year 2024 award’’ for his sterling and excellent performance to take the Nigerian economy out of the woods since he assumed office on June 1, 2023.
While NCS boss, continued to be recognized by different Organizations over his impressive performance in office, he may have taken a bold step to tackle cargo clearance at the nation’s seaports, airports and land border areas, across the country.
The recently convened high-level stakeholders’ engagement meeting at Apapa Area Command hosted by Compt. Babatude Olomu, to address emerging issues affecting the nation’s maritime sector and cargo clearance processes and ensure seamless trade facilitation speaks volume.
Speaking at the forum, the CGC, was said to have told the participants, that the deployment of the B’Odogwu, baptized Unified Customs Management system, UCMS, remains ‘’a firm and irreversible policy direction’’.
He was said to have stated further to the hearing of the industry stakeholders at the forum that ‘’there is no going back on the new cargo clearance policy’’, though there may be issues.
He may have used the opportunity of meeting with the officials of the authorized banks involved in cleecting duty payment on and other charges on behalf of the Service and relevant agencies, stating that the engagement has yielded positive results.
The good news was that the Apapa Command Area Controller’s stakeholder’s engagement on Tuesday, August 11, 2025, had opened a channel of communication between the Customs, stakeholders and the banks. The CGC, may have left the industry stakeholders with a message to back home with when he declared that it is the intent of his Management team and the Area Controllers at the seaports, airports and the Land border stations ‘’to always listen to importers with their agents patiently, to bring everyone together as equal partners in the B’Odogwu project.
There is no gain saying the fact that ever since the pilot phase of the Customs, was introduced in Port Multi-services Terminal Limited, late 2024 and further expanded Apapa, Tin -can Island and Port Harcourt Area II, Command, Onne, Rivers state, the service had resolved some identified challenges through joint efforts while work continues on others as disclosed by the CGC. He may have shocked Nigerians when he revealed of the recent attempts by unidentified individuals ‘’to compromise the Service’s digital infrastructure but failed’’.
Giving an insider information, the CGC, who has nothing to hide had confirmed that some desperate individuals had made several attempts to infiltrate the Customs B’Odogwu platform, with a mindset to make inefficient but were disappointed.
Describing the nefarious activities as act of ‘’economic sabotage ‘’, the CGC, has vowed not to spare anyone caught in the nefarious activity as he full weight of the Law would be brought against him as a deterrence to others who may want to indulge in such act in future.
He may have assured the Apapa Area Controller and other Customs Comptrollers overseeing Commands which have the B’Odogwu system not to blink as the Service under his Leadership will continue ‘’to strengthen the system firewalls to prevent future downtime’’ caused by criminal elements.
The one-day B-Odogwu stakeholders’ engagement at Apapa Command, according Abdullahi Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and the Service spokesperson, was concluded with an interactive session, during which stakeholders were said to have ‘’ shared their perspectives and concerns on maritime sector operations, with a collective resolve to work towards efficiency and transparency in cargo clearance’’.
