The leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) again puts a round peg in a round hole by deploying Deputy Comptroller Nura Ibrahim Miko, from the Apapa 1 Command as DC in charge of revenue, to the PTML Command as Acting Area Controller, having earned the confidence of the NCS management as a hard working officer
By Edu Abade
In its bid to boost trade facilitation anchored on Collaboration, Consolidation and Innovation, the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has shown its ability to deploy the right men and officers with excellent professional inclination to man some of its top tier commands across the country.
As some of the service’s eggheads get elevated to senior management positions, especially in the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG) ranks, middle level officers who have been tested and have earned the confidence of the high echelons of the NCS, are being deployed to sensitive formations.
This comes as Nura Ibrahim Miko, a Deputy Controller (DC), who was until his recent posting, the DC in charge of Revenue at the Premier Lagos Port, Apapa assumed leadership of Ports and Terminals Multi-services Limited (PTML) Command with a pledge to uphold due process, integrity, ease of doing business and trade facilitation.
During the handover ceremony, outgone Controller Joe Anani, who was redeployed to Tin Can Port declared that the PTML Command under his watch collected an impressive ₦181 billion revenue in the month of April, 2026.
Speaking at the brief ceremony, Miko promised to operate with integrity and strict adherence to due process while ensuring seamless trade facilitation. The command has collected over ₦178 billion revenue as at the time of handing over.
In a statement made available to the media by the Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO), PTML Command, Abdullahi Abubakar, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), the new helmsman specifically assured officers and men of PTML Command, sister agencies and stakeholders of a purposeful leadership under his watch.
Miko said, “I want you to know that I am here to work with you, not merely to lead you.
Under my watch integrity will be non-negotiable and trade facilitation will remain our priority. Due process will be strictly respected. Team work will be our greatest strength. Results will be achieved through collaboration, not fear. Together, we will take this command to greater heights.”
Miko, who described the PTML Customs as a well-organized Command, also promised to build on the achievements of his immediate predecessor.
He also sought continued cooperation and collaboration of all sister agencies and stakeholders operating within the Command while stating further that effective port operations depend on inter-agency synergy, mutual respect and a shared commitment to trade facilitation, revenue generation and national security.
He further stated that the Command would remain open to constructive engagement, thus confirming his commitment to transparency, accessibility and a level playing field for all, adding that together the Command’s Stakeholders will sustain PTML’s position as a model command for efficiency and integrity.
While thanking the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for the confidence and trust reposed in him, the Acting Controller said the nation’s number one customs officer’s policy thrust of Innovation, Consolidation and Collaboration would be upheld as they jointly write the next chapter of the PTML Area Command.
Commenting on Miko’s deployment to the command, Secretary of the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), Chief Eugene Nweke, commended the Comptroller General of Customs, Adeniyi, for what he called strategic administrative deployment of some of the NCS’s best men and officers’
He described Miko as a distinguished professional whose records of service, technical competence, administrative capacity and operational discipline have continued to earn him respect within the Customs management system and among critical industry stakeholders.
Nweke restated that Miko was assuming the leadership at the PTML Command with proven experience, technical soundness, humility and a strong professional orientation.
“His expressed commitment to integrity, due process, collaboration and seamless trade facilitation reflects the mindset of a progressive and service-driven officer fully prepared to consolidate on existing achievements while charting new frontiers of operational excellence,” Nweke stated.
Responding, Comptroller Anani described his eight-month service period at the PTML Command as an extraordinary privilege to serve as the Area Controller
He recalled the successes of his predecessor, retired ACG Daniyan who pioneered the roll out of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) also known as B’Odogwu and started the process of addressing its initial challenges and how he (Anani) has consolidated it to success
“When I first walked into this role, I carried a clear mandate: to steer this command through its modernization transition stage to a more stable state. After my predecessor saw to the successful roll out of B’Odogwu and was addressing the teething challenges associated with such an innovative system, I came and with the support of my fellow officers, sister agencies and stakeholders, we took it to the next level. This could not have been possible without the support of all of you,” Anani said.
Speaking further, Anani said, “On the enforcement side of our operations, we succeeded in seizing and handing over illicit drugs, arms and ammunition to the relevant government agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA)
“On my watch, we launched groundbreaking initiatives by achieving one hour clearance of compliant vehicle imports, and most importantly, built a culture where everyone feels valued and encouraged to do more in terms of compliance. None of these would have been possible without the dedication, creativity, and resilience of each and every one of you.”
