By Stephen Ubanna
While Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, incumbent Comptroller General, of the Nigerian Customs, NCS, could beat his chest that he has not made any mistake in building his career in the service from the Public Relations Department which took him to the Customs Headquarters from TinCan Island Command, where he had worked under Usman Kankawa Bello, who had retired as a Comptroller and now Kawan Katsina, in his home state Katsina.
Not many of his contemporaries who had fallen by the wayside could have the audacity to say so as they will retire from the service between now and December 2025, without attaining even the Comptroller’s rank . Some of these Adeniyi’s Contemporaries still in the service were said to have been busy looking for juicy postings to the Commands where they could make cheap money. Adeniyi, who had been exposed and appreciated by past Comptroller Generals who had enjoyed his services, particular, late Abdullahi Dikko, appears to have been plotting his way to the top
The deceased Dikko was to have appreciated his services that he had jokingly told him that he could attain the Assistant Comptroller General rank from. Even when he attained the rank of Customs Comptroller from the Customs Public Relations Department in the office of the Comptroller General, and deployed to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Command as Area Controller in 2019, did not stay long.
Fraudulent importers with their agents who had attempted to play smart at the airport will not forget their experience in a hurry. In less than six months in office, he had intercepted the North American country of the United States $8.6 million at the busy the MMIA, sending a signal to airport operators that it is no longer going to be business as usual.
The money was said to have been founding a suspected vehicle belonging to Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO. Given is no nonsense attitude to issues that contravenes the Federal Government, FG, Fiscal policies, the suspect, one Chimezie Okonkwo, was arrested and taken into custody for further investigation.
The seizure of the huge forex at the MMIA, which clearly shows what has been going on over the years at the busy Ikeja, Lagos, international airport. This may have emboldened him to tighten up security at the MMIA, and further blocked other areas of revenue leakage at the airport.
Hameed Ali, a retired Army Colonel, and immediate past Customs Comptroller General, may have taken advantage of the spectacular huge forex seizure to have elevated him to the enviable rank of Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, in February 2020, to encourage other officers that there is reward for hard work.
His elevation to the ACG, which qualifies him as a member of the Customs Management where there is high stake politicking appears to have taken back to the Customs Headquarters and appointed as the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT to do what he knows best , initiating policy ideas for the service.
The seizure of the huge amount of US, dollars, at the MMIA, was said to have also earned him the prestigious National Honour of Member of the Federal Republic, MFR, conferred on him by former President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2022.
This may have prepared him to position himself as the next Comptroller General of Customs after the expiration of Ali’s second term in office, in 2023. The election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, may have opened the door way for his dream to be achieved.
The Osun state born career senior Customs officer who had risen to the rank of Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, DCG, may have seen it as an opportunity to achieve his dream of overseeing the affairs of the service. He had his way.
President Tinubu, may not have had much difficulty in appointing a qualified career officer as enshrined in the Customs Management Act, 2023, passed by the National Assembly and signed into Law by former President Muhammadu Buhari but to settle for the then DCG Adeniyi, from the Yoruba extraction to replace Col. Ali .
The Customs Comptroller General may not have had much difficulty in setting up his Management Team to pilot the affairs of the service with him. He was said to have brought in some of the previous Command’s spokesmen who had worked closely with him as the NPRO, and identified to be good on their job who had attained the enviable rank of ACG, into the Management Team.
This may have informed why he had brought into the service Management Team the likes of Timi Bomodi, Dera Nnadi, a graduate of Nigerian Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, Plateau state and Musa Omale, who had just graduated from NPSS, into Management Team.
One or two of the Public Relations officers at the Commands who had worked closely with him had attained the Comptroller’s rank. One of them, Compt. Babatude Olomu, who incidentally is the Area Controller of the Apapa Command, which handles over 60 % of the volume of cargoes coming into the nation’s seaports had shown his administrative skill to effectively oversee the affairs of a Command when he had acted as acting Comptroller, Cross river/Akwa/Ibom Command, when the position was vacant until a substantive Area Controller was appointed.
Another of such enterprising PROs, who had worked closely with him was AOB Alade, now a Customs Controller,Ogun II, Command, Abeokuta, overseeing the Excise Factories in the state. The duo appears to have given a good account of themselves in office, that they have become the topic of discussions wherever two or three officers or freight forwarders to discuss about the Customs job describing them as’’ exceptional and uncompromising’’.
This may have informed why a school of thought had emerged from the nation’s maritime industry and Customs circles, canvasing that before any officer will be appointed as future Customs Comptroller General, hey must have passed through the service Public Relations Department which should have exposed him or her to the operational activities at the ports, Airports and Land border stations to be able to handle contentious issues without messing up the job , or play into the hands of the importers with their agents who have the money to spend without their Containers being properly examined and released at the port.
Charles Orbih, an ACG, and National Coordinator, Lagos Zonal office, who appears to have followed the foot steps of the Customs Comptroller General as Area Controller of MMIA, to make undisclosed amount of US, dollars seizure at the MMIA, had alluded to some of the policy thrusts of the Customs helmsman which includes Consolidation, Innovation and Consultation which had taken the service to another level over the last year, that the international Community has recognized him as a performer.
The Customs Zonal Coordinator was said to have also cited, the Odogwu clearance System, and Authorised Economic Operator, AEO, policy thrusts of the Adeniyi’s Administration which importers with their Agents have unanimously agreed had simplified their clearing process at the ports through faster clearing times of imported cargoes and improved efficiency.
The AEO,particular, which was said to have been officially announced on February 14, 2025, appears to be living up to expectation of ‘’enhancing trade facilitation and reducing clearance times at the ports’’. The Comptroller General who appears to be very happy with the feedback he is getting from the Customs Brokers and Freight forwarders about of the policy thrusts since it was announced was said to have repeatedly ‘’highlighted the role of the policy thrust and collaboration of operators in for the programmes’ success.
An elated CGC Adeniyi, who had said at a recent Lagos forum, that the pilot phase of the programme, which had started on April 15, 2024, had been highly successful had confirmed that the six pilot companies which had been registered under the programme had demonstrated remarkable growth with their collective trade volume soaring from N185.8 billion in 2023 to N563.8 billion in 2024, and will be much better this 2025.
The Comptroller General who could not hide his feelings had reportedly said that’’as the service fully implement the AEO programme , and given ‘’the service dedication to efficiency, security and prosperity which remains unwavering’’, the situation would be much better this 2025.
He had said that the early success of the AEO, pilot phase had clearly shown that the service under his Leadership can achieve and even surpass its 2025, revenue target which is still an unsettle issue between Wale Adun, minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy and the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Finance.
The National Assembly, Joint Committee on Finance had fixed N12 trillion as the service 2025, revenue target against the N6.5 trillion, proposed by the service. Notwithstanding the controversy surround the Cusstom the 2025 , revenue target and the delay I the Command’ their yearly target to strategize on how to meet their monthly targets, Adeni, the Customs Comptroller General, is also optimistic that the service, will take advantage of ‘’the success of the early pilot phase of the AEO, in setting new benchmarks for trade facilitations in Africa that would boost its revenue collection on a daily basis.
Already, Compts. Olomu and Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, of Apapa and Tin can Island Commands, respectively , who were said to be acting out the script of the Comptroller General to tight up security at the port and block areas of revenue leakage to collect maximize revenue for the government appears to have set the pace with their revenue collection in the month of January , 2025.
The apapa Command, the Value News online Magazine was informed had collected and paid into the Federation Account a little above N261 billion in the month of January , 2025 while the Tincan Island Command who hd introduced some major reforms at the Command since late December 2024, had confirmed that the Command had generated N116.4 billion , in the month of January , described in maritime circles as a month that importers had adopted a-wait- and see-attitude to the implementation of the country’s fiscal policy before placing orders for their goods and chemicals needed in their factories to produce their products for the local market.
The Customs Comptroller General may have gladdened the heart of importers with their Agents when he disclosed recently in Lagos, that the AEO, portal has been opened for operators to access for their transactions since February 17, 2025.
He was said to have enjoined eligible importers , exporters , terminal operators , logistics companies , Customs Brokers and freight forwarders , which have demonstrated compliance so far in taking delivery of their cargoes at the nation’s seaports, without cutting corners to shortchange the government that they have no cause to worry.
Caroline Niagwan, DCG, Trade and Tariff, T&T, at the Customs Headquarters, may have spoken the mind of the CGC, when she stated that the programme will not only ‘’improve port efficiency but also attract investment, reduce costs and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the international market’’.
Appealing to industry stakeholders to support the AEO programme, he averred that that it is for the country’s benefit just as the six companies which were said to have been issued Certificate for their exemplary operations over the last one year were said to have given their words ‘’to remain compliant and transparent in their operations in the years ahead. Vintage Adeniyi.
