One year in the saddle, the incumbent Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has steered the wheels of the revenue generating agency to stardom
By Innocent Chukwu
He came, he sees, he is conquering. These age-long attribute of world’s most successful leaders aptly captures the success story of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under the leadership of Adewale Adeniyi. Since Adeniyi was appointed the Head of the Nigeria Customs in June 2023, he has not relented in tackling the ills that had bedeviled the Service, as well as introducing policies that have helped the NCS in recording huge success in the cardinal areas of anti-smuggling, trade facilitation and revenue generation. The high point of Adeniyi’s reforms is that halfway into the year 2024, the Service has generated over four trillion naira out of its revenue target of N5.1 trillion for 2024.
Adeniyi, MFR, is a man his detractors never saw his appointment coming because God kept it away from danger and preserved from the shackles of enemies and allowed him to attain his current status as Customs boss. A suave and cosmopolitan gentleman, he has the aura of a man who knows his onions and ready to deliver against all odds. When his appointment was announced, many who never believed in his ability to deliver were waiting for his dismal outing as CGC. But today, even his die-hard critics have joined everyone in openly commending his effort to move Nigeria forward in terms of border control and smuggling. With his proactive and pragmatic approach to duties, Adeniyi has gained more friends who admitted that, at the pace he is going, he will write his name in gold as one of the most innovative Customs bosses in Nigeria with great achievements to his credit. Adeniyi had swung into action on assumption of office with technological innovation, automating valuation, and introduced cargo clearance while making work seamless and thereby decongesting the ports and terminals across the country. In the area of seizures, his administration has turned into a nightmare for smugglers who now find it hard to smuggle things into the country with his synergy with other law enforcement agencies and his automated ways of gathering intelligence on bursting syndicates of smuggled goods into Nigeria. He has also made staff welfare a top priority while giving attention to the personnel’s wives through Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA) where those who lost their husbands in the line of duty are taken care of. Adeniyi understands the rudiments of trade facilitation for economic prosperity as he keeps data on the balance of trade between Nigeria and partner- countries, a situation that gives Nigeria the opportunity to compete in terms of where the market for products are found.
Hate or love him, you cannot but marvel at the personality of the 14th indigenous Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Adeniyi, whose appointment as the Comptroller General of Customs on 19th, June, 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, marked a turning point in the history of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Somehow in one year Mr Adeniyi has seemingly displayed so much patriotism, courage and quality leadership.
Adeniyi came up with different approaches to tackling economic sabotours and all forms of smugglings. He met with Mr President, Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, members of the Senate Committee on Customs and visited traditional rulers in some of the border towns.
A major achievement of the visits to traditional rulers is the plan to establish skill acquisition centres in some of the border towns with Seme as the take off town of the pilot scheme. This is coming at a time when most of the policies of the past Comptrollers- General were devoid of human face.
Another laudable effort of the Comptroller General of Customs since his appointment, is the disbandment of the notorious CG strike force and ensuring that the core values of the Federal Operations Units (FOUs) of the service is restored. He has also enhanced professionalism in the Customs Service. Only recently, some Area Controllers with the approval of Mr Adeniyi, had a meeting with independent petroleum products marketers at different locations where they were told in clear terms that taking petroleum products in gallons out of the country is economic sabotage and won’t be tolerated by the Service.
In June 2023, Tinubu appointed Adeniyi, a former Spokesman of the Customs, as the CGC. He immediately keyed the Service into the Policy Advisory Document of the administration.
After series of internal repositioning, boosting staff welfare and morale, strengthening links with international organs to promote best practices and fostering a merit-based sense of geopolitical equity in the posting of commanding officers, the Service set up the Revenue Review Performance Recovery Team, (RRPRT), which has helped shore up the revenue profile of the Federal Government to new heights.
