By Stephen Ubanna
Barely two weeks after Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service , NCS, had showcased the over N921 billion intercepted and seized unregistered pharmaceutical products , expired food items, drone, Telecommunication equipment without the End User Certificate from the officer of the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, at the Apapa Command, Compt. Babatunde Olumo, appears to have made history again in the area of trade facilitation and revenue generation for the Service.
In spite of the downturn in the economy and the drop in the volume of cargo imports through the Lagos ports of Apapa which handles over 60% of the country’s imports, under the supervision of the Apapa Command, the Customs Comptroller remains unrelented to make history in revenue collections for the government.
Aware that he has a mandate to sustain the Command’s trade facilitation drive and revenue generation efforts, the athletic -built Apapa Customs Comptroller, who may be smiling with you but could not compromise on his job as he has ensured that the importers with their agents make the correct declarations and pay the appropriate duties.
Those who have tried to play smart would not forget their experience in a hurry because of the Debit Note; they issued to them and which are usually paid without complaint to take delivery of their cargoes from the port.
Compt. Olomu, who is determined to prove that the selection of the Command as Best by the Customs Authorities in Trade Facilitation, Ports and Revenue Generation, which was said to have earned him the Customs Comptroller of the year 2024, at the CGC, Award Night at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, was well-merited.
This is evident going by the Command revenue generation between January 1, 2025 and May 12, 2025. Although the Command 2025, revenue target remains a closely guided secret, but the Command appears to be working towards hitting N3 trn, revenue bracket. It would be recalled that in 2024 alone, the Command, had collected and paid into the Federation account a total sum of N2.3 trn to surpass the N2.02 trn target.
Compt. Olomu, who was said to have put the officers at APM Terminal, described as the biggest Bonded Terminal in the West and Central African sub-regions and other Terminals under the supervision of the Command both within and outside the port environment, to be on the red alert to ensure that the right thing is done may have informed why the traders have become very compliant to avoid playing into the hands of the no nonsense Compt. Olomu.
Signs that the Apapa Command monthly revenue generation would be on the increase this 2025, despite the increase in tariff of exports to Nigeria by the North American country of the United States, US, when It collected and paid into the Federation account about N261.268 billon in the month of January as against N 152.851, that was said to have been collected by the Command and paid into Federal Government coffers in January 2024.It would be recalled that much of the Nigerian imports are from the Asian countries of China, India, South Korea and the US.
Not many had expected the Apapa Command to make any appreciable impact in its 2025, revenue collection because of President Trump global trade policy which he had said was said ‘’to address perceived unfair trade practices as the US, Government had imposed 14% tariff on exports from Nigeria which includes a baseline of 10% tariff on all US, imports as Nigeria as well, which may have discouraged many importers.
In taking the bold economic initiative the tough US, President had declared at the start of the implementation of the new era of free trade between US and its trading partners like China, India and Nigeria, supercharge US, manufactured goods, killing the country’s industrial base and open foreign markets long accused of shutting out US goods.
Notwithstanding the US, government plans to pry open foreign markets including that of Nigeria and breakdown foreign trade barriers, the US, government appears to have brought out the best on Cmpt. Olomu to deliver on the Service core mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations.
The Apapa Customs Command Area Controller, may have shocked Nigerians and other Area Controllers at other Customs Formations across the country as the Command’s revenue collection was said to have hit the N1,002,968,694.07, revenue, undisclosed mark, fueling speculations making the rounds as the volume of imports through the port as the year progresses as trade deals are concluded, the Command will overshoot its 2025 revenue target.
Described as a landmark in the history of the Command, the Customs Comptroller had said that this is coming more than 45 days ahead of Command’s 2025, half year report of its activities. The Customs Area Controller who was said to have attributed the impressive revenue collection of the Command ‘’to a combination of ‘’leadership direction of the Customs Comptroller General, blocking areas of revenue leakages, and the diligent discharge of responsibilities on the part of officers at the Command’’ at the Apapa operational office, and the Bonded Terminals within Lags, the nation’s Commercial nerve center.
An elated Compt. Olomu, had said that ‘’hitting the over N1 trn revenue before the middle of May, 2025, was a confirmation of the Command’s readiness to surpass a total of N2.3 that was collected before Dec. 2024.
Appreciative of the efforts of the officers and men of the Command in the realization of the Service core mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations, since early May of 2024, that he had assumed office, as CAC, Apapa Command, Compt. Olomu, who would not want that to enter into their head to relax, would want them to double their efforts in ensuring maximum revenue collection, suppression of smuggling through diligent cargo examination and facilitation of lawful trade.
He was said to have further enjoined the officers and men of the Command ‘’to sustain and improve the act of intelligence sharing, robust interaction with other government agencies and regular stakeholders’ engagements to achieve more for the Service that will contribute to the nation’s well-being.
The Apapa Area Controller may have alluded the CGC, policy thrust which includes deployment B’Odogwu platform, an indigenous technology developed by the Service , with the technical support of Huwei Technologies Limited, a Chinese firm, which has a 20-year working agreement for the Service for the automation of its operations which replaced Nigerian Integrated and Customs Information System, NICIS, which was a foreign technology managed by Webb Fontaine, at Port Multi-services Terminal Limited , PTML, used as the pilot phase , before being expanded to Apapa and Tincan Island Commands late October, to provide all the facilities on NCS, operations at the nation’s seaports , excise processes, manifest processing, licensing, revenue collections, anti-smuggling operation.
The mandate of the Chinese firm was said to have also included the provision of these other core services Unified Customs Management System, UCMS, Trade Portal, Electronic Cargo Tracking System, Enforcement System, Telecommunication System, Video Surveillance and Connectivity.
This is in addition to provision of other core services like Border Management system, NII, Human Resources Management, HRM, DMS and AMS, services, for the Service throughout the duration the duration of the contract.
Comptroller Olomu, had said that since the deployment of the B’Odogwu platform UCMS, in the Command, which had shown prospects for higher productivity, ‘’we have cashed on it to improve our productivity which had had reflected on monthly revenue collection so far’’.
He had said that with the ongoing training of licensed Customs agents and freight forwarders ahead of the full deployment of the new facility at the port, ‘the Command chances of surpassing the 2024 revenue collection and the meeting the 2025 target are higher’’., Vintage Olomu.
