By Stephen Ubanna
When Julius Caeser, said in Latin in his war commentaries De Bello Civili, ‘’U est rerum omnium magister usus’’, translated to mean ‘’experience is the best teacher’’, he may have heard Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the incumbent Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, in mind.
Having worked closely with some past Comptroller Generals of the service like Jacob Gyang Buba, now Gwon Gwon Jos, Plateau state, north central Nigeria, Hamman Bello, now deceased, Benard Shaw Nwadialo, Abdullahi Dikko, deceased, and Hameed Ali, who incidentally was a retired Army Colonel, as the National Public Relations Officer, NPRO, of Customs, may have equipped him to effectively implement the service core mandate of revenue generation, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations without much ado.
This is evident as industry stakeholders, particular, importers with their agents who are linked to various Associationslike the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Lincensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, and Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, among others were said to have thrown their weight behind the Adeniyi’s led Management team to succeed.
Although , cutting of corners by importers with their agents through false declarations, underpayment and Concealment to short change the Nigerian Government have not stopped completely but it has reduced considerably at the nation’s seaports, airports and Land border stations since CGC Adeniyi mounted the saddle in June 2023.
Even the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association, NECA, Leadership, which had remained a penchant critic of NCS policies over the years to have seen the good side of the service under the Adeniyi ‘s Leadership that it is now ready collaborate with it to enhance trade facilitation.
Recall that prior to the cancellation of the recent introduction of a 4% administration charge on Free On Board, FOB, value, by the Adeniyi led Customs Management team, NECA, had criticized administrative charge, describing it as ‘’ill-timed and detrimental to business and the nation’s economy’’.
Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, NECA’s Director General, who could not hide his feelings had said that there was no reason for the service under the Leadership of Adeniyi to have introduced the new levy, noting that the Nigerian business environment is already burdened with multiple taxes, unpredictable policies and other economic challenges’’.
He had added that ‘’ rising unsold inventories and the NCS policies should support businesses in Nigeria and not to further strangulate them’’. The NECA Director General, was emphatic that the introduction of the 4% administrative charge on FOB goods, is will escalate production costs in factories, fuel the country’s inflation rate and further loss of jobs, which may not be good for the economy as it would inflict more pain on the consumers who would be made to pay higher prices for locally manufactured goods.
An aggrieved Oyerinde, who did not spare CGC. Adeniyi and his Management team for ‘’prioritizing revenue generation over its core mandate of trade facilitation and economic development’’, had said that the 4% FOB administrative charge directly contradicts the government’s Ease of Doing Business Agenda’’.
Barely two months that NECA Leadership took the NCS Management team to the cleaners for introducing the 4%administrative charge on FOB imports, which had been cancelled by the Customs Authorities, the Association may have shot itself on the leg as it is now ready to work with the service over its good trade policies to achieve its core mandate of revenue generation and trade facilitation.
Between January and10, 2025 and April 4, 2025, the NECA, officials may have seen the other side of the Aeniyi’s administration with the much policy changes that was said to have been introduced at at the nation’s seaports, particular, the cancellation of the 4%, administrative charge on FOB imports by the Customs Authorities that it has commended the service for the policy reforms and operational improvements that had been introduced under the present Customs Management Leadership. The NECA Leadership, according to Abdullahi Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and service spokesperson had alluded ‘’to the improvement in the area of trade facilitation’’.
The Customs spokesperson had said that the commendation was given on April 4, 2025, when Ifeanyi Okogwu, the NECA, President, led a delegation on courtesy visit to the Comptroller General, at the Customs Headquarters, in Maitama, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The NECA top official may have gladden the heart of the Customs Comptroller General and his Management Team when he disclosed that ‘’the visit is aimed at strengthening collaboration on trade facilitation and private sector development’’.
Hear Okogwu, the NECA President: We are here today to commend the service for your impactful initiatives so far, as we recognize the NCS, as critical partner in the journey of enhancing the operating business environment in Nigeria.
Going down the memory lane, he had said that NECA was established in 1957to represent the interests of businesses organizations in Nigeria and currently ha 4000 members. He did not stop there. The NECA Chief was said to have highlighted the key trade facilitation tools that had been introduced by the Adeniyi’s administration over the last one years in the service which includes the Advance Ruling, the Authorised Economic Operator, AEO, Programme and the Time Relase Study., noting.
An elated Okogwu, had said that these reforms are significant in reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and improving the ease of doing business, for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs. According to him, these newly introduced Customs reforms are not just policies on paper, they are impactful initiatives directly supporting Nigerian businesses, particular, the SMEs.
This may have informed why he had said the Association look forward ‘’to continued engagement with the NCS, to ensure that businesses thrive and that the Nigerian economy grows’’.
In apparent response to the NECA president remarks, during the visit to the Customs Headquarters at Abuja, the Customs General who could not his feelings was said to have given his words of ‘’the service unwavering commitment to working closely with the private sector to build a more inclusive trade environment’’.
He may have given the NECA members a cause to be cheery when he declared that that he is always glad ‘’to partner with private sector enterprises’’, stressing that the service actions have a direct bearing on the kind of business environment the government create.
It was not surprising why the Adeniyi led Customs Management team under the present circumstances had ‘’put premium on trade facilitation, and stakeholder engagement’’. The Customs Comptroller General was said to have assured the NECA members that service remains ‘’ public-centric in its approach to issues and will continue to work closely with the business community to simplify processes and ensure compliance.
Describing ‘’the Customs not just as enforcers but trade facilitators’’, he asserted that they are committed ‘’to working with NECA, every step of the way in building a better ecosystem for Nigerian businesses to flourish’’. He was emphatic that ‘’continuous dialogue like this thrives meaningful progress’’.
The NECA officials visit to the Customs Headquarters at Abuja, was said to have ended with a renewed commitment by the two parties ‘’to deepen collaboration ‘’, which may believe underscores the importance of Customs to business partnerships in achieving national economic development. Vintage Customs.
