Tag: Apapa Customs

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), realised N2.635 trillion  between January and November this year, representing a growth of 19.9 per cent over the N2.2 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. This was driven by automation, compliance-led enforcement and closer collaboration across the port ecosystem.

The figures, unveiled at the Command’s end-of-year stakeholders’ forum and awards night at Apapa Club by Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Emmanuel Oshoba, underscored its position as Nigeria’s flagship port command, anchoring customs revenue, trade facilitation and supply-chain stability in the country’s busiest maritime corridor.

Welcoming stakeholders, Oshoba, said the Command’s performance reflected reforms aligned with the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, particularly on modernisation and ease of doing business.

“From January to November 2025, the Apapa Area Command generated N2.635 trillion, representing a 19.9 per cent increase over the N2.2 trillion recorded in the same period in 2024.

“This achievement reflects improved compliance, effective automation, robust monitoring and the dedication of our officers. Let me emphasise that our preference is compliance, not confrontation,” Oshoba said.

He listed key initiatives driving the gains to include the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, the One-Stop Shop framework to cut duplication and delays, and deployment of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) to strengthen automation, risk management and revenue assurance.

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Oshoba also disclosed that the simulation of the newly installed scanner at APM Terminals on November 6, 2025, marked a major milestone in expanding non-intrusive inspection, a critical lever for faster cargo clearance and lower logistics costs.

On enforcement, he said the Command recorded significant seizures of drugs, expired goods, arms and ammunition, achieved through intelligence-led operations and sustained inter-agency cooperation. He warned that while the command encourages honest declarations and strict adherence to extant laws, it would not hesitate to deal decisively with false declarations and other infractions.

Representing the CGC, Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) Mohammed Babandede, Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, said 2025 provided “cause to celebrate,” while urging stakeholders to deepen compliance as Customs fine-tunes its operations.

“With your cooperation, we were able to achieve our target in 2025. The Service under the leadership of the CGC is passionate about trade facilitation, but we can only facilitate trade provided the integrity of declarations is high,” he said.

He announced a sensitisation programme on the AEO scheme scheduled for Thursday at Continental Hotel, stressing that Customs expects stronger partnership with traders and agents in 2026.

“In 2026, we should work together as partners, as brothers, so that it will be a good year for you, for us and for the Nigerian economy,” he added.

In a goodwill message, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Maritime Police Command, Chinedu Oko, reaffirmed security agencies’ commitment to safe port operations.

He said: “It is only when we work together that we achieve our ends. Any time the Comptroller calls me on issues concerning my command, I respond positively. The Nigerian Police will continue to work closely with Customs.”

The AIG congratulated Oshoba on the revenue achievement and assured that the Nigeria Police would continue working closely with Customs to achieve their objectives.

Representing the Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom, Royal Highness, Engineer AbdulFatai Aremu Aromire Oyegbemi, the Bashorun of Ijora, Iganmu, Chief Hakim Oladipo Ojora said the monarch commended Customs for maintaining order and preventing crises within the port community.

“Kabiyesi appreciates the way Customs conducts itself within our domain. There is no crisis, no hoodlum activity,” he said, congratulating the Command on what he described as “very mighty achievements.”

Speaking on behalf of licensed agents, the founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, praised Apapa Customs while calling for broader application of reforms.

“Apapa is the flagship, and you are doing great. We have made up our minds to be compliant. One-Stop Shop should be universal, not only when there is an alert, so that everyone can compete effectively,” Aniebonam said.

He said freight forwarders were already looking ahead to 2026 “to do greater things that will bring about a greater Nigeria.”

The event also featured the presentation of stakeholder awards, reinforcing the Command’s collaboration-first approach to port management.

Terminal Operators Awards went to firms including APM Terminals, Eco Support Services and CFA Terminal 3. The Controllers’ Commendation Award, for promoting industrial harmony, was presented to individuals including Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, among others.

Under the Agency Cooperation Award, organisations such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), NDLEA, Nigeria Police (Apapa Command) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) were recognised for sustained support. The CAC Special Recognition Award honoured groups including ANLCA, Atlantic Coast Shipping Nigeria Ltd and ACE Unique, among others.

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to to National President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) Kikelomo Adeniyi, in recognition of wide-ranging social impact initiatives linked to the Service as well as humanity.

Her interventions include vocational empowerment of over 1,500 women, establishment of an ultra-modern skills acquisition centre in Abuja, welfare support for widows of fallen officers, pioneering of the Green Border Sustainability Initiative focusing on tree planting, clean-up exercises, waste management and discouraging urban burning, and promotion of national immunisation campaigns against measles and other diseases in partnership with state governments and NGOs.

Presenting the award on behalf of the CGC, CAC Emmanuel Oshoba described her as “a human mobiliser” whose work has positioned COWA as a model for community-driven development.

The event was attended by Acting Commandant of Nigeria Army Intelligence Apapa, Colonel Ogunbunmi; the Commander of Narcotics; Customs Area Controllers, Chief Akinwunmi Olufemi; senior officers of various agencies; terminal operators; and representatives of freight forwarding associations.

During the ceremony, attendees observed a minute’s silence for Assistant Comptroller Nafiu Abubakar, who died in the early hours of Tuesday after a protracted illness.

As Apapa Customs closed the year, stakeholders converged on a shared message: stronger compliance, deeper collaboration and sustained reforms remain central to keeping Nigeria’s busiest port competitive, secure and revenue-efficient in 2026 and beyond.

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated N2.4 trillion between January and October 2025, surpassing its total collection for the entire year of 2024 two months ahead of schedule.

According to a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs Tunde Ayagbalo, the Command also achieved a N304 billion in October alone, the highest monthly revenue ever collected by any Customs Command in the Service’s history.

Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, hailed the performance as “the beginning of greater revenue generation exploits” and attributed it to the dedication of officers, compliant stakeholders, and ongoing modernisation reforms designed to strengthen revenue efficiency and trade facilitation.

He said: “I commend my officers and our compliant stakeholders for this revenue collection milestone, but it’s not our final destination. This is the beginning of greater revenue generation exploits under our watch.”

Oshoba said the Command is fully prepared for the introduction of a “Drive-Through Scanning regime” capable of processing an average of 150 containers per hour directly from the quayside.

Describing the initiative as revolutionary in the history of port operations across West Africa, he said the system will drastically reduce cargo clearance time and enhance trade efficiency at the country’s busiest port.

He said the Command’s officers, including newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers, have undergone “specialised in-house training” to ensure readiness for the scanning regime — in line with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi’s directive to modernise operations and strengthen professionalism.

“We are deploying all tools of trade facilitation as directed by the CGC, including the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) which harmonises all Customs procedures to save time and promote efficiency. At the same time, we are ensuring there are no revenue leakages”.

The Area Controller reaffirmed the Command’s “zero-tolerance stance on revenue shortfalls”, noting that officers are actively using Demand Notices (DN) to recover unpaid duties and closely monitoring Harmonised System (HS) Codes to prevent misclassification and evasion.

“My officers are very vigilant, checking any attempt to misapply HS Codes for duty evasion,” he said.

Oshoba added that the Command continues to strengthen the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) system, harmonising Customs processes to make cargo clearance more seamless while ensuring compliance with global standards.

In line with efforts to improve trade flow, Oshoba revealed that he has been conducting unannounced visits to sections of the Apapa port access roads to engage directly with truckers, freight forwarders, and licensed Customs agents.

He said these engagements were aimed at enhancing coordination with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to facilitate the swift evacuation of cleared consignments and prevent congestion that could impede scanning and examination processes.

“If cleared consignments fail to exit, new ones coming for examination or scanning would be slowed down. This affects trade directly and impacts the NCS’s revenue collection and trade facilitation mandates,” he explained.

Oshoba also visited the Apapa Port Manager to deepen inter-agency synergy, underscoring that efficient cargo movement is vital for sustaining revenue growth and port competitiveness.

The Area Controller has called for stronger collaboration between the Customs Service and the media to promote transparency, efficiency, and public trust in port operations.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON), Oshoba emphasised that constructive communication and feedback from journalists play a key role in institutional growth and accountability.

“I’ve said it before — I’m a man whose second name is collaboration. That’s why I see the critical role of assessing our performance as a shared responsibility,” he said.

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According to him, Customs operations thrive on transparency and stakeholder engagement, particularly in a strategic port like Apapa, which handles over 40 per cent of Nigeria’s seaborne imports and exports.

“Whatever we do here, someone must be able to see it. If you cannot see yourself clearly, somebody else will. Feedback is important because no matter how good we think we are, we are all works in progress,” Oshoba noted.

He urged officers to view external assessments as opportunities for growth rather than criticism, adding that effective communication with the public enhances the Service’s reputation and fosters mutual understanding.

“If someone points out your shortcomings, take it as a guide to improve. We must all continue to perform better for the Command, for the Service, and for Nigeria,” he added.

Oshoba reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the image and mandate of the Service through diligence, patriotism, and transparency.

“Being in uniform does not make us more patriotic than any other Nigerian. We are all citizens striving for the success of our nation. Let us work together to project the image of Customs and achieve our collective mandate,” he stated.

Industry analysts have credited Apapa Command’s sustained performance to ongoing efforts to “streamline cargo clearance, expand automation, and strengthen compliance” among importers. The Command’s drive for “transparency, collaboration, and technological innovation” is also seen as a key factor behind its consistent revenue growth despite global trade disruptions and local economic headwinds.

According to experts, with over N2.4 trillion generated in ten months and historic efficiency gains, the Apapa Command under Comptroller Oshoba continues to set the pace for Customs modernisation; reinforcing its role as a critical pillar of the country’s trade facilitation and fiscal sustainability agenda.