By Stephen Ubanna
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, appears to have prepared the minds of Compt. Babatunde Olomu of Apapa Command and other Customs Area Controllers across the country on how to generate and pay into the Federation Account the Projected N12 trillion which the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance had set for the service, this 2025, fiscal year.
The NCS, in its defense of its 2025, budget, had proposed a revenue target of N6.5 trn, to be paid into the Federakl Government coffers because of the drop in the volume of cargo coming into the nation’s seaports and Land border station. Many believe that Adeniyi, led NCS, may have given members of the Joint Committee on Public Finance of the National Assembly room to significantly increase its 2025, revenue projection because it had collected and paid N6.1 trn, into the government coffers 2024, as against N5.5 trillion which had expected would be transferred by the service to the government coffers.
The National Assembly, Joint Finance Committee may have turned down the N6.5 trn, which the service had proposed to pay into the Federal Government coffers on grounds that if it had all that it takes to meet the projected N12trn and even surpass it, this 2025, as it did in 2024.
The Joint Finance Committee members of the National Assembly, who would want the 59-year-old Customs Comptroller General who is currently being celebrated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos, and in other government circles as a revenue mobilizer, to see the N12 trn projections as conservative but aim higher this 2025.
At different fora, the Nigerian President, had alluded to the steady digitalization and automation of the service operations under the Leadership of the Osun state born Comptroller General, which had lifted the officers morale and commitment to professionalism to boost their revenue generation drive in their respective Commands in 2024.
While the Customs Authorities may see the N12 trn , revenue target set for the service to be on the high side maritime analysts any will want the service to take advantage of the government’s economic policies of’’ enhancing trade facilitation , modernizing port infrastructure, and the unification of the country ‘s official and parallel , popular, black market exchange rates , which was said to have streamlined business processes to reduce barriers to trade to aim at achieving the revenue with ease .
In generating the N6.1trn, which the service had paid into the Federation Account in 2024, CG, Adeniyi, who knew he cannot afford to disappoint the Nigerian President who has given him the opportunity to oversee the affairs of the NCS, was said to have initiated some significant reforms which includes the introduction of ‘’ the Advance Ruling System, ARS, and the Authorized Economic Operator, AEO program, which the President had said ‘’ align with global best practices that would further ‘’enhance the country’s trade facilitation and create more predictable business environment’’.
The Nigerian President who had repeatedly said that the Customs initiatives which are currently being implemented across the country, had resulted in the remarkable revenue collection of the service in 2024, and a clear indication that it will perform much better this 2025.
Already, the Customs Authorities have stepped up efforts, with the backing of Wale Edun, minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the economy, in strengthening Nigeria’s position as a trade -friendly nation in the areas of export promotion and port efficiency to enhance its revenue collection at the ports and Land border stations.
Given the trillions naira revenue task ahead of the Customs Comptroller General may have encouraged Comptrollers Olomu, Apapa Command, and Frank Onyeka, who had taken over as the new Area Controller of Tin Can Island Command,and who collects the bulk of the Customs projected revenue target collection on a yearly basis, to know that they have more job to do this 2025, to meet their target. It is not surprising why the two Customs Comptrollers, particular, have tightened up security and blocked areas of leakage at their respective ports to maximize revenue collection on a daily and monthly basis.

The Apapa Command, Area Controller, who incidentally had won the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, award for’’ Best Area Controller of the year, 2024’’, and which Command also won the award as the ‘’Best in Revenue Generation’’, which may not want to go below the ranking this 2025, appears determined to make an earth-shaking revenue collection going by snippets from the Command this month of January.
Also at the Tincan Island Command, under the then Leadership of Compt. Dera Nnadi, now an actg. Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, who had taken the Command, to the level, where it was recognized to be given award as one of the Best revenues in revenue Generation, next to the Apapa Command, I the Customs Nov. 19, 2024, Award and Gala Night, may have left a big shoe for his successor to wear.
The Customs actg. Comptroller, who had contributed meaningfully to the huge revenue collection of the Apapa Command while overseeing the exit gate, through issuance of Debit Note, DN, appears set to repeat same at Tin Island Command to boost its revenue collection.
A senior Customs officer, who spoke to The Value News on condition of anonymity had said that ever since he assumed duties at the Command on Dec. 21, 2024, the actg. Comptroller, who knows his onions, ‘’thinks and dreams on how to improve the Command’s revenue collection on a daily basis to meet and surpass its monthly targets’’.
He was said to have told those that cares to listen on how he intends ‘’to meet and surpass the revenue target that had been set for the Command this year. He was said to have stated categorically that the revenue target that had been set for the Command, which an insider had said had been significantly increased compared to the 2024 figure, is achievable through ‘’ improved trade facilitation’’, which he had said must be’’ genuine trade and business’’., meaning that those who indulge in false declarations, underpayment, concealment and smuggling, would have themselves to blame.
Worried of the news making the rounds that sometimes Containers leave exited the port without proper examination, may have informed why he has reenacted the strategy adopted at the Apapa Command exit gate where he had closely worked with officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, and the Valuation Unit, to ensure that the right thing is done.
He was said to have sounded it loud and clear that to the officers at the exit gate that cruise control method’ ’will be adopted to facilitate the exit of cargoes at the port. The message was very clear that they needed to see the Containers which the importer’s agent had claimed had been examined to make assurance doubly sure. He has his every reason to beam his searchlight over what is happening at the Command exit gate to avoid a repeat of the exit of Containers that were never examined and which fall into the waiting hands of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, officers, who strategically positioned along the Oshodi-Apapa Express way to monitor Containers exited from the Lagos ports.
The Tin can Island Area Controller, may have gladdened the heart of the legitimate importers with their agents that they have noting ‘’to worry’’, insisting that those who claimed that their Containers had been examined and convinced that it is supposed to exit the port without any harassment by the gate officers are free to load their Containers in their trucks and go. He was emphatic that those who have problem are the fraudulent importers with their agents.

The Tin can Island Area Controller who is not ready to allow any officer make mockery of his job at the Customs Headquarters is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the Command meets its monthly revenue target, this 2025. The Customs Comptroller was said to have secured buy-in of his officers to make them understand that that trust reposed him by the Customs Comptroller General and his Management team must not be abused.
He was said to have repeatedly said that he will do everything within his powers to justify his appointment as the Tin can Island Command Area Controller, by performing above expectations ‘’to prove that he can do the job that can make the Command the talk of the day in revenue generation like the Apapa Command.
The Customs Area Controller, however, will know whether the officers at the terminals and the exit gate including those at the CIU or the Valuation Unit, are following his lead to enhance the Command’s revenue generation going by the security measures that had been put place. at the end of the month of January, 2025.
The revenue that will be paid into the Federation Account at the end of this January , compared to what was collected and paid into the government coffers same time last year, would determine the Customs Comptroller next line of action either to overhaul the Command’s various Units to be more productive in the discharge of their duties. Nigerians are watching to see what will be done.
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