In their determination to accelerate the revenue generation drive of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Apapa, Tin Can Island Port and Seme Border Area Commands, have again, proved their resilience by growing and surpassing their 2024 figures in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 as first-tier commands of the service, among other performance indicators
By Edu Abade (Lagos) and Jude Nzennaya (Port Harcourt)
As several commands of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) release their performance records for the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, revenues generated from some of the commands give room for celebration by Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the management team of the service.
Figures released for the first quarter of the year reveal that the Apapa Command grew revenue by 54 percent to N753.8 billion, while the revenue generated from imports between January and March 2025 increased by 54 per cent.
Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, disclosed the figures during an oversight visit by House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, led by its chairman, Leke Abejide in Lagos.
Comptroller Olomu revealed that the command generated N753.8 billion revenue in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 54 percent surge over and above Q1 2024, adding that the 2025 amount is N205 billion higher than the N489 billion collected within the same period of last year.
He said the command also achieved a daily revenue collection of N18.9 billion on March 14, 2025, the highest in the NCS’s 135-year history, noting that the new record breaks the highest daily collection of N18.2 billion in October 2024.
Olomu said, the successes of compliance, revenue collection, and anti-smuggling are fallouts of collaborations where intelligence is gathered, processed and deployed for national economic interest and security.
He added that the command is playing a critical role in the service modernization agenda, especially in the implementation of the Unified Customs Management System (B’Odogwu), saying between January and March 2025, the Command recorded nine seizures of which five were unregistered pharmaceuticals smuggled into the country.
Responding, Abejide, who said the committee’s visit to various area commands was aimed at checking the implementation of the customs 2023/2024 budget allocation, described Comptroller Olomu as a professional officer.
Comptroller Olomu also highlighted challenges such as the need for upgraded equipment for terminal operators, saying if properly looked into, this has the potential of facilitating trade and, in the long run, increase the NCS’ revenue-generating capacity.
Also the Tin Can Island Command witnessed a revenue surge, as it generated N347.9 billion compared to N304 billion recorded during the same period in 2024 indicating an increase of 12.6 percent for the first quarter from January to March 2025.
The record breaking revenue collection of Tin Can Port Command marks a significant mile stone under Comptroller Frank Onyeka, who assumed office in December 2024 after Comptroller Dera Nnadi was elevated to Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) and deployed to Abuja as a member of customs management team.
Details of the revenue figures show that the Command recorded N116.42 billion in January, representing a 24.06 percent increase growth over the N88.43 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2024.
In February 2025, a total of N103.3billion, representing an increase of 2.90 percent compared to N100.billion generated in the corresponding period of 2024 and N128.3 billion for March 2025, representing a 10.3percent growth over the N115.1 billion generated in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Comptroller Onyeka, disclosed that the impressive revenue performance was attributable to the various reforms put in place by the management of the Service, diligence of the Tin Can Island Command and the cooperation of stakeholders, who are honest in the declaration of their consignments.
“We’re committed to fostering a friendly business environment where honesty and compliance are mutually rewarding. This performance is only a stepping stone towards greater efficiency and trust in our port system,” Onyeka said.
He commended the stakeholders for their support, urged them to do more in terms of honest declaration of their consignment to enhance seamless trade documentation and revenue collection, assuring that the Service is doing everything to improve the operational environment, which would be to the benefit of all.
He also expressed gratitude to the CGC Adeniyi and the NCS management team for the support and praised the media for their objective coverage and constructive engagement with the Command’s activities.
Meanwhile, the Seme Area Command generated N1.986 billion in the first quarter of 2025 through improved compliance, risk management and enforcement.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) Comptroller Ben Oramalugo disclosed this on Monday, April 7, 2025, when the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, led by the Chairman, Leke Abejide visited the command in accordance with the National Assembly’s statutory oversight responsibilities as enshrined in Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Oramalugo, appreciated the Committee’s delegation for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of their commitment to enhancing Customs administration, trade facilitation and national revenue optimization.
Comptroller Oramalugo highlighted the strategic importance of the Joint Border Post (JBP) along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, which serves as a vital hub for regional trade. He reiterated the Command’s dedication to embracing the JBP initiative, which fosters cooperation with the Republic of Benin, promotes intelligence sharing, and improves customs clearance through the one-stop border post model.
Since assuming office on February 11, 2025, the Comptroller has focused on four key mandates: revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations, and inter-agency collaboration. Under his leadership, the Command has recorded significant achievements including:
On revenue generation, Dr. Oramalugo explained that the Command’s trade facilitation efforts on export activities were boosted with over 96,000 metric tons of goods with Free on Board (FOB) value of N20.454 billion between January and March 2025.
He also revealed that the command’s anti-smuggling activities from January to March 2025 resulted in several seizures ranging from petroleum products, narcotics, poultry products, vehicles, foreign parboiled rice, among others with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N855.7 million.
Comptroller Oramalugo, however, outlined several operational challenges faced by the Command, including poor infrastructure, shortage of personnel and equipment, lack of power supply for over Seven (7) years in the entire Seme axis and ocean encroachment.
In a statement made available to journalists by the Public Relations Officer of Seme Area Command, Isah Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), the CAC canvassed urgent government intervention, especially in technology deployment, environmental protection, and enforcement of contractual obligations on stalled projects.
Responding, Abejide reaffirmed the Committee’s resolve to critically assess the operations, revenue performance and capital projects in line with the 2023 and 2024 budgetary approvals.
“We are here to check your books, operations, and ongoing projects to ensure alignment with appropriated funds and to determine areas for retention or removal in the 2025 budget,” he said.
He further stressed the need for the Command to provide data on revenue performance in relation to targets, impact of E-Customs and digital platforms and efforts made in suppressing smuggling and promoting Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
Furthermore, Abejide, who assured that the welfare of Customs officers remains a matter of equal priority, encouraged the leadership of the Command to use the opportunity to present actionable needs for inclusion in the 2025 budget.
The visit concluded with mutual assurances of continued collaboration in strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service as a key driver of economic development, regional integration and national security.
