By Stehen Ubanna
Compt. Bello Ahmadou Shuaibu, now Comptroller, Enforcement, Customs Headquarters, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, appears to have laid a solid Foundation for revenue collections in Ogun II, Command, of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, with Head office in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun, former President Olusegun Obasanjo home state.
Compt. Bisi Alade, who had succeeded Compt, Shuaibu, in April 2024, a senior officer had confirmed made little or no changes in the inherited structure which was said to have sustained and even improved on the Command’s monthly revenue collection records.
Compt. Alade who was said to have continued from where his predecessor Compt. Shuaibu, had stopped, had gone a step further to apply his ‘’technical and administrative expertise’’ to effectively implement Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, CGC, mandate, in Coordination of the activities of all the excise factories, described as Authorized Economic Operators, AEO, in Customs circles and collection of excise duties on locally manufactured products based on the use of unit cost analysis of the data provided by the operators.
With the support of members of his Management Team, particular, the then DC. Godwin Otunla, overseeing the Command’s Admin. Unit, described as a great motivator, the Command was said to have made some old decisions that had continued improved its monthly revenue collection since the beginning of the year, 2025, despite the downturn in the nation’s economy.
Until his elevation to the enviable rank of Comptroller and deployed to Ogun I, Command, Idiroko, where he is currently giving smugglers a battle of their lives in border Communities in Yewa north, Yewa south, Ipokia and Imeko/Afon, Local Government Areas, LGA , of the south western state with the neighbouring Republic of Benin and Ogun Waterside LGA, he was said to have left a legacy, at the Ogun II, Command , that officers described him as a ‘’team player’’, who runs an open door policy.
As the DC, Admin. at the Ogun II, he was said to have prepared the ground that made it possible for the Area Controller to give a soft landing for the AEOs, to pay their excise duties without being chased around or frequently being given reminder notices to pay the relevant duties and fees.
The Customs Comptroller was said to have fully implemented the various industrial incentives as contained in the Customs Management Act, April 2023, signed into Law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Some of the incentives include the Duty Drawback and Manufacture Bond Scheme, which was said to have been implemented with the active collaborations of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC.
Giving that Compt. Alade had beamed his searchlight on the excise factories and the ones at the Free Trade Zones, FTZ, in the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which includes Industrial Platform Remo Free Trade Zone, IPRFTZ, Olokola, OK FTZ, and Specialized Railway FTZ.
This is in addition to the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, OGFTZ, located located in Igbesa, which is a joint venture between the Nigerian Government and the Asian country of China, managed by the China African Investment Company, CAIC.
This was said to have resulted in the Command’s improved monthly revenue collections between April 2024 and now. The Command revenue collection in the first quarter of 2025, speaks volume.
An elated Compt. Alade, could beat his chest that the Command had successfully blocked all areas of revenue leakage that was said to have been cashed on by officials of most of the excise factories, FTZ, and bonded terminals in the past, to compromise the officers as the opportunities are no longer there to do so, let alone for the company officials to have access to the Customs Comptroller, who had maintained that ‘’the right thing must be done’’.
This may have informed why the Command’s monthly revenue in recent months had continued to be on the increase. ‘’I am delighted to announce that through our strategic efforts and unified operations system’’, the Ogun II, Command had collected and paid into the Federation account a total sum of N N15,191,227,503.82, in the first quarter of 2025, describing it as very encouraging.
The Ogun II, Area Controller, who could not hide his feelings had said that the revenue collection represents a 40% increase compared to the N9,165,717,162.99, collected from the excise factories, FTZ, and bonded terminals within the same period in 2024.
The breakdown of the Ogun II, Command revenue collection, according the Customs Comptroller, shows ‘’a progressive increase’’ between January, February to April, 2025. Take for instance, S/NOEXCISEN, was said to have fetched the government a total sum of N8,333,039,874.82, GFTZ, N7,164,777,965.00 while the Bonded Terminals, import, licensed in the state was said to have contributed N1,495,658,869.00 to the Command total revenue collected during the quarter and paid the into the FG, Consolidate Revenue account.
Putting the garb of an Administrator, Compt. Alade had said that ‘’the achievement recorded by the Command so far is ‘’a testament to the resilience, commitment and Professionalism of the Command officers’’ who were said ‘’to have worked tirelessly to ensure we exceed over 2025, monthly revenue targets’’.
He was said to have also said that the Command unwavering commitment to the country’s economic growth and development was said to have encouraged the officers to double their efforts to collect more revenue for the government.
The Ogun II, Customs helmsman may have given Nigerians a cause to cheer, when he disclosed that in addition to the over N15 billion paid into the Federation account in the first quarter of 2025, the Command was said to have recovered one some unauthorized factories operating illegally in the state to add up to the Command’s source of revenue. The Area Controller may have given the unauthorized AEO, a soft-landing by bring it under excise control instead of closing it down permanently.
An insider had attributed the discovery of the illegal AEO, to the several strategic initiatives that had been implemented by the Customs Comptroller, in the recent moths such as enhancing the Command Monitoring Units Operations, improving intelligence gathering, strengthening stakeholders’ engagement and implementing the Service recently Launched Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, policy.
He noted that the policy initiatives align with ‘’the CGC’s principles of Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation’’. He was said to have remarked during a recent media briefing about the Command activities at Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, that ‘’the Customs Comptroller General ‘’visionary Leadership and enabling support are crucial in enhancing the Command ‘s capabilities and these impressive results’’.
It was not surprising why he was said to have reaffirmed the Command’s commitment and determination ‘’to surpass the first quarter, 2025, revenue collections efforts in the remaining three quarters of the with the improved compliance level of the trading Community, partners at FTZs, and bonded terminals, within the Command’s areas of jurisdictions.
As a prelude to sustaining the Command ‘s revenue collection records in the recent months, Compt. Alade was said to have categorically stated that the Command will continue ‘’to dialogue and extend heartfelt gratitude to all the officers and men of the Area Command for your hard work, dedication and Professionalism’’ in order to put mor efforts towards the realization of the Command ‘s 2025, revenue target.
Appreciative of the CGC and his Management’s support in enhancing their operations in the south west state, he noted both not such support, the Command could not have achieved such a feat because of the down turn in the global economy, which was said to have affected the excise factories production level and sales, including exports to other countries in the West and Central African subregional markets.
He was said to have equally alluded to the support enjoyed from the sister security agencies in the state like the National Agency for food and drug Administration, NAFDAC, Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, Nigerian Drug Law enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS and Nigerian Police Force, NPF, and Department of State Service, DSS, among others in the state.
