By Stephen Ubanna
Not many are surprised that Compt.Bisi Alade, Area Controller, Ogun II, Command, has taken advantage of the many, heavy, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs, involved in manufacturing pharmaceutical products, Alcoholic drinks, beer, food, beverages, steel products, and other items including cement , spread across the state , including a bonded terminal to optimize revenue collection for the Command, headquartered in Abeokuta, capita of Ogun, former President Olusegun Obasanjo home state.
Much of the heavy industries which attract huge excise duties are located in Ado-Odo/Ota, Ifo, Shagamu while much of the SMEs are located in Shagamu, and other parts of the state including the FTZs.
Some of the heavy industries in the state which attracts huge excise duties include the Nigeria Breweries plc, Nestle Nigeria plc, Ecomed Pharm ltd, Africa Gb Food Industries Ltd, Global Foods and Distilleries Ltd, Nigeria Distilleries Ltd, Supreme Distilleries Ltd, Intercontinental Distilleries, West African Portland Cement Company, WPCO, Larfage Group, Dangote Industries which manufactures Dangote cement, and BUA Group to name but a few.
Given the good number of SMEs at the Free Trade Zones, FTZs, in the, may have informed why Compt. Alade had informed why Compt. Alade had deployed his officers around the state to effectively monitor the industries’ production levels to ensure that the Command adequately collect the appropriate excise duties without being shortchanged. This appears to have paid off. This is evident going by the Command’s revenue collection over the first quarter of 2025.
Compt. Alade, may have given the Comptroller General the opportunity to unbared his mind when during a recent visit to the Command when he highlighted ‘’the structure and achievements of the Command from January to April 2025.
The Ogun II, Command, Area Controller, had told the Comptroller General, who was beaming with smiles that the Command had collected and paid into the Federation account a total sum of N15.191 billion, compared to the N9.165 billion collected and paid into the government coffers within the same period in 2024.
An elated Compt. Alade, who many believes lives a quiet life, could beat his chest that the revenue collection by the Command from the excise factories across the state within the period under review was 40 % higher than the first quarter of 2024, revenue collection, an indication that the Command revenue collection for the year 2025, would be much higher than its 2024, revenue collection before the end of the year. The Customs Comptroller may have kept its revenue collection between May to June 11, 2025, that the CGC, was at the Command from public knowledge.
Although there are reported over 370 operating Companies the state but Compt. Alade had said that the Command oversees 67 registered excise factories, spread across the state including the three FTZs, Guangdong Free Trade Zone, Igbesa, Ceplast FTZ and Flourmill FTZ, as many of factories have closed shop and. The bonded terminal in the state was said to have also fetched the Command some billions of naira in revenue within the first four months of 2025.
The good news was that the Customs Comptroller had ensured that all the excise factories and bonded terminal operators are compliant to the Federal Government Fiscal policy and that revenue is collected efficiently.
The Customs Comptroller who had seen the CGC’s visit to the Command ‘’as a moral booster to the officers and men of the Command’’, has vowed that they will double their efforts to improve on the Command’s revenue collection in the remaining months of the year, 2025.
The Ogun II, Command Customs boss, may have gladdened the CGC Adeniyi’s heart when he declared to his hearing: Sir, your presence here today, is not only encouraging but also a strong indication of your commitment to every arm of the service’’.He was emphatic, ‘’it has uplifted the spirit of our officers and enforced our resolve to deliver on the service’s. mandate with renewed vigour.
Hear Him: We shall continue to remain focused, disciplined and professional in the discharge of our duties, while aligning with the CGC’s reform agenda’’ which centers on innovation, collaboration and consolidation. Note that the CGC Adeniyi’s reform agenda aims to modernize Customs operations, improve efficiency and enhance trade facilitation in Nigeria.
He was said to have drawn the attention of the CGC, to the challenges facing the Command, including inadequate operational vehicles, medical laboratory equipment at the Command’s clinic, the need to renovate two 30-man rank and file quarters, improved borehole facilities, and the installation of solar power system for the Command office complex.
In apparent response to the Ogun II, Area Command, Controller’s thought- provoking speech, the CGC, who cares for the welfare of the officers and men of the service, was said to have assured him that ‘’the Headquarters would consider the issues raised’’.
The Customs helmsman has a word of advice for officers and men of the Command ‘’to prioritize continuous professional development’’ stressing that ‘’competence, Skills, knowledge and dedication are essential to effectively discharging the service responsibilities’’ which is multifaceted encompassing revenue collection, trade facilitation, border security and anti-smuggling operations.
There is no gain saying the fact that the NCS, are also responsible for enforcing imports and exports restrictions, protecting businesses from illegal trade practices and collecting data for the government for yearly economic planning.
Putting on the garb of an officer holding a political office he has praised Prince Ibidapo Abiodun, the governor of the south west Ogun state for leveraging the state’s strategic location as Nigeria’s industrial gateway, particularly, in the light of its shared border with the neighbouring Republic of Benin and ‘’repositioning the state for industrial growth’’.
‘’Ogun state is a strategic location which shares boundary with Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve center, which may have informed why the CGC, had given his words that ‘’the service remains a committed partner in driving the nation’s economic prosperity’’.
Perhaps to achieve shared goals, with other government agencies, he was said to have encouraged Compt. Alade ‘’to deepen collaboration with the sister security agencies.
He may have alluded to the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Military, Department of State Services, DSS, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC and the Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON. Compt. Alade, appears to have followed the CGC’s reform agenda, over the last one year, which may have informed why he is doing well in the Command. Vintage Alade
