By Stephen Ubanna
Signs that the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, under the Leadership of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Ph.D, would meet its 2025, revenue target of N6.5 trillion, brightens, as Commands declares their 10 months revenue collection which are very impressive.
The Customs Authorities could beat their chest that the 2025 revenue target is as good as having been met and surpassed that is prepared to celebrate the 2025, Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, Conference, which date had been set in style.
From Port Multi-services Terminal Limited, PTML, Tin -can Island Command, Ogun I and II to Kano/Jigawa Commands, the story is the same: improved revenue collection. An insider had confirmed that much of the imports that had attracted high revenue collection are from the Asian countries of China and India, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, UAE.
Going by the monthly report of the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, most imported Commodities which was said to have attracted much of these high revenues to the Commands included motor spirit , crude petroleum oils, durum wheat, Agricultural Machines Tools, and other Machines for the reception, conversion and transmission of voice, images and data while the most exported commodities were crude oil, Liquefied natural Gas, LNG, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, and kerosene type jet fuel to name but a few.
Compt. Emmanuel Oluwadare Oshoba, Area Controller, Apapa Command, which oversees the nation’s premier port which handles over 60% of the cargo imports into the country, and who had inherited the structure established by his predecessor, the then Compt. Babatunde Olomu, now an Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, that had stood the Command out in revenue collection, appears to have sustained the Command’s revenue tracks record.
This is evident with the Command’s October, 2025, revenue collection, paid into the Federation account which the Customs Comptroller had put at N304 billion, compared to the N264 billion tha was said to have been collected by the Command within the same period in 2024.
The Apapa Command revenue collection for the month of October was said to have jerked up its total revenue collection in the first ten months of the 2025, fiscal year, revenue generation to about N2,4 trn, leaving a balance of N1.trn to meet up its N3.5 trn revenue target.
A determined Compt .Oshoba, who had tightened up security at the Apapa port and blocked all areas of revenue Leakage to ensure that appropriate revenues are collected on imports and exports had given his words that he cannot afford not to meet the Command’s revenue target, insisting that that it would the exceed its revenue target with the support of the B’Odogwu facility which had made importers with their agents to be compliant with Customs Regulations .
As a prelude to ensuring that stakeholders do the right thing, without being chasing around by Customs personnel in their duty post may have informed why he has sounded it loud and clear that he will not tolerate ‘’duty evasion, with a zero tolerance on the misapplication of the Harmonized System, HS, codes.
The impressive performance of the Apapa Command in its revenue collection in the months of October was said to have been replicated by Compt. Aliyu. M.Alkali, of Port Harcourt Area II, Command, which oversees the Port of Onne.
Peter Duniya, a Chief Superintendent of Customs and the Command spokesperson, had issued a statement indicating that it made a record-breaking revenue collection of about N76.1 billion in the month of October, 2025, alone, describing it as a historic record in the history of the Command which had produced ACG. Mohammed Babandede, the current, National Coordinator of, Customs, Zone A. Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, supervising no fewer than 16 Area Commands taking them to optimal performance level.
Although the PortHarcourt II, Command, October revenue collection paid into the Federation account is no where near what was collected by the Apapa Area, CSC. Duniya, who may have studied the Command’s revenue profile over the last 12 years, had said that the achievement marks ‘’the highest monthly revenue collection in the Command’s history, attributing it ‘’to the impact of decisive and unified collaboration within the Command’’.
He was said to have to have also attributed the Command impressive performance ‘’to the deliberate and regular stakeholder engagement spearheaded by the Port arcourt II, Command, Area Controller. He averred that the ongoing dialogue with the industry stakeholders coupled with the consistent engagement with the Unit Heads, where the Area Controller had persistently emphasized the importance of facilitating legitimate trade, compliance to the Federal Government 2025, fiscal policy, was said to have added value to its operations and contributed to its improved revenue collection.
An elated Compt. Alkali, had said that the Port Harcourt II, Command, exceptional performance in the month of October, 2025, underscores the Management commitment ‘’to national economic growth through effective revenue collection, enforcement of compliance with international trade regulations and further facilitating Legitimate trade.
Agents who spoke to the Value News online on conditions of anonymity had confirmed that the Customs Comptroller strategic deployment of the DCs and ACs, to their current based on operational needs which had ensured optimal resource allocation and efficiency across the Command had significantly helped.
According to the agents, this proactive measure adopted by the Area Controller, has enhanced the Command’s capacity to meet and exceed its 2025, revenue target and contribute meaningfully to the Customs Headquarters meeting the 6.5 trn revenue target.
Appealing to the industry stakeholders, particular, the importer, the importers with their agents, Compt. Alkali, who could not hide his feelings had urged them to keep to their patriotism, synergy and commitment to working together with the Customs personnel towards ensuring the Command’s greater revenue collection in the remaining months of the year.
He has given his words to sustain this momentum and strive for even greater accompolishments in the coming months, which he had said could only be possible through ‘’effective team work and dedication to national development’’, stressing that he and his Management team shall continue ‘’to strengthen the system to sustain the momentum’’.
