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How I reinvented revenue drive at Apapa Customs—Yusuf Malanta —-rakes in N366billon in six months.

Eyewitness reporter
Since Comptroller Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim took over the mantle of leadership at the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in February 2021, the command has gone into a heightened revenue frenzy that is unprecedented in the history of the flagship command.
He has not only sustained the rich tradition of the command as the revenue basket of the service but has also reinvented the revenue drive of the command that has made it to consistently break all the revenue records in the history of the command.
At the press conference he held Tuesday to unveil the half-year performance of the command, Comptroller Malanta revealed what he did differently from his predecessors that has set the command on a new revenue trajectory.
“When I came in, I looked at the existing structure and discovered there were gaps and I proceeded to plugged the identified loopholes.
“I met a revenue of N48 billion. But ever since then, I have consistently grown the revenue profile of the command through the efforts of my committed and dedicated staff and support management staff.
“So in subsequent months, I have grown the revenue which I met from  N48 billion to N52 billion, N64 billion, and N66 billion.
“And today, (June), we are talking about N 78.4 billion.
But Malanta vowed that he was not going to stop at that as he intended to keep on building the revenue arsenal of the command.
While revealing the performance indices of the command in the first half of the year, Malanta disclosed that a whopping sum of N366 billion was realised between January to June, 2021.
This figure, according to him, represents a 61 percent increase when compared to the N227 billion that was collected with the corresponding period in 2020.
The command has continued to break all revenue barriers to set new revenue records when it again recorded an astounding N 78.4 billion in the month of June 21st which clearly shows an increase of over 90 percent when compared to the N 42.4 billion collected in the corresponding month under review.
This figure also dwarfed the sum of N65.5 billion which the command collected in April.
Similarly, the command processed export cargoes worth N272.3 billion between January to June 2021.
 The exports which passed through the command within the period under review included Agricultural goods such as sesame seed, ginger, hibiscus flower, and other mineral resources.
“The total tonnage of the said export stood at 1.6 million tones with FOB value of $103 billion.”
“This spectacular achievement was made possible by our officers’ resilience and commitment in ensuring collections of appropriate revenue, robust stakeholders’ engagement and seamless facilitation of compliant trade.”
Malanta further stated that the anti-smuggling operations of the command led to the interception of contraband smuggled into the country.
The seized items which worth N27.6billion include unregistered pharmaceutical, used clothing, tomato paste among others.
“Nonetheless, our sustained anti-smuggling campaign and the increased level of compliance have resulted in a reduction of smuggling activities throughout the command.
“Thus, for the period under review, the Command recorded 10 seizures of various uncustoms goods such as tomato paste, used clothing, unregistered pharmaceutical drugs with a Duty Paid Value of N442 million
“This unprecedented record is a great validation of our new approach to revenue drive. It is also fitting to emphasize here that this volume of revenue has never been recorded in the history of the flagship Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.”
“Consequent upon the above and in line with the provision of Extant laws, trade guidelines and enforcement of Government Fiscal Policy, the Command was able to strengthen its anti-smuggling operation against economic saboteurs through a timely credible intelligence-driven network which led to the seizure of 46 containers between January to June 2021 with Duty Paid Value of N27.6 billion.”
These unprecedented achievements were made amidst economic contraction that was worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
But, according to Malanta, the command was able to navigate through these difficult times with the vision of the management, commitment, and dedication of men and officers of the command.
 “I am not stopping at our present achievements.
“With the type of management team I have and the type of structure we have put in place, we shall continue to preach compliance.
“It is when there is compliance that cargo throughput will be faster and when cargo throughput is faster, the revenue declaration will be faster and therefore, revenue will be coming automatically” Comptroller Ibrahim declared.
The success story of Apapa command under the leadership of Malanta revolves around the use and deployment of ICT.
As a system man who is well versatile in the use of ICT, Malanta uses information technology to identify and plug revenue loopholes and this has boosted the revenue performance of the command.
Also, the command, under the prompting of the Area Comptroller, has developed strong inter-agency collaboration and deep stakeholders’ engagement that has helped the command to continue to break all the revenue barriers.
The command had also relentlessly preached the gospel of compliance which has so far changed the orientation of importers and their agents to made correct declarations and payment of Customs duties.
To underscore the importance he attached to compliance, Malanta created a new unit called Compliance unit to drive this crusade, advocacy that has started to yield high dividends as evidenced by the level of compliance among those who ply their trade in the command and the resultant accrued revenue.
The use of intelligence is another forte of the command which Malanta has successfully used to track cargoes bound for the command.
This explains the impressive records of seizures of contraband made by the command.
With this new ” structure” created by Malanta, it is hoped that the command will sustain the new revenue trajectory which has been responsible for the monthly revenue harvests that are expected to be further boosted by the hike in exchange rates for Customs duties.
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Customs

KLT Customs reaffirms commitment to stronger maritime stakeholder engagement

Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Adigun

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter
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‎The Acting Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Adigun, has reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to deepening engagement with stakeholders across the maritime industry in line with efforts to promote trade facilitation, transparency, and sustainable economic growth.
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‎Adigun gave the assurance through the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Administration, Comptroller T.A. Jonah, who represented him during a courtesy visit by the newly elected Executive Committee of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) to the Command in Lagos.
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‎The Acting CAC, who was unavoidably absent, underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and key industry stakeholders, particularly the maritime media, in advancing the Service’s mandate and supporting national economic development.
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‎He described the media as a critical partner in disseminating information on government policies, customs reforms, trade facilitation initiatives, revenue generation, and anti-smuggling operations.
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‎According to him, maritime journalists occupy a strategic position in shaping public understanding and perception of activities within the port and maritime sector, stressing the need for professionalism, accuracy, and balanced reportage in the discharge of their duties.
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‎Adigun further assured the MARAN delegation that the KLT Area Command would continue to operate an open-door policy while fostering cordial and productive relationships with stakeholders within the maritime community.
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‎Earlier in his remarks, the President of MARAN, Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde, stated that the visit formed part of the association’s ongoing stakeholder engagement initiative following the inauguration of its newly elected executive committee.
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‎Onigbinde explained that the purpose of the visit was to formally introduce the new leadership of the association to the Command and strengthen the longstanding relationship between MARAN and the Nigeria Customs Service.
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‎He commended the KLT Area Command for its contributions to trade facilitation, revenue generation, and enforcement activities, describing the Command as a vital component of Customs operations within Nigeria’s port system.
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‎The MARAN President also reaffirmed the association’s commitment to professional, objective, and development-driven journalism, noting that maritime reporters play a significant role in promoting informed discourse on issues affecting the industry.
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‎He further assured the Command of MARAN’s continued support for initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness within Nigeria’s maritime sector through responsible and factual reporting.

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Customs

“You are worthy ambassador of Osun State” Oni of Ife eulogies Adeniyi’s leadership of Customs 

Funso OLOJO,  Editor 
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi II, has eulogized the sterling qualities of Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller- General of Customs, for his revolutionary leadership of the Nigeria Customs  Service.
The  first class Yoruba monarch made the commendation on Thursday, 28th May 2026, during the annual Eid-el-Kabir gathering hosted by the Comptroller-General at his residence in Modakeke, Osun State.
The Oni, who cited President Bola Tinubu’s public commendation of Adeniyi as evidence of the confidence reposed in the Customs boss, described him as a good ambassador of Osun State and a source of pride to the ancient Ife Kingdom and the Modakeke community.
Oba Ogunwusi said President Tinubu’s public expression of satisfaction with Adeniyi’s performance reflected confidence in his leadership and the results being achieved by the Service.
“We are very proud of him and the work he is doing. When Mr President publicly expressed satisfaction with his performance, it was not a casual statement.
” It reflects trust in his capacity and the results he is delivering. What he is doing in the Customs Service and in the community shows that he is a unifier.”
Reaffirming the support of the Ife Kingdom for the Comptroller-General, the monarch declared:
“He brings people together, and that is what leadership is about. We will continue to stand by him and pray for him.”
Addressing guests, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adeniyi expressed appreciation to the Ooni of Ife, community leaders, family members, friends, associates, and well-wishers for their continued support.
He described Eid-el-Kabir as a season that reminds humanity of the virtues of sacrifice, gratitude, obedience, and service to others.
According to him, beyond the celebration, the gathering provides an opportunity to reconnect with people, strengthen relationships, and reflect on the collective responsibility of building stronger communities and a better nation.
The CGC noted that the NCS has continued to record significant progress in revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations, technological innovation, and corporate social responsibility initiatives in line with the economic objectives of the Federal Government.
He said the Service remains focused on supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu through reforms aimed at facilitating legitimate trade, enhancing national security, improving compliance, and creating opportunities for economic growth.
CGC Adeniyi added that Customs has continued to invest in community-focused interventions across the country, including educational support programmes, healthcare initiatives, and other projects designed to improve the lives of Nigerians.
He pledged that the Service would continue to pursue reforms aimed at strengthening its operations and delivering greater value to the nation, while assuring stakeholders of Customs’ commitment to professionalism, transparency, and service excellence.
Adeniyi also expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country and assured Nigerians of the Service’s continued support for government policies geared towards economic prosperity and national development.
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Customs

World Bank strengthens Customs capacity in post clearance Audit in two- week capacity building exercise

Gloria Odion,  maritime reporter 
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a two-week Technical Assistance Mission on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) in collaboration with the World Bank Group under the Accelerated Revenue Mobilisation Reform (ARMOR) Programme, aimed at strengthening compliance management, revenue assurance, and trade facilitation through modern audit practices.
The workshop, which runs from June 1 to June 12, 2026, is taking place at the Service’s  Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, Assistant Comptroller-General , Babatunde Olomu, described the mission as a significant step in advancing the Service’s modernisation agenda and strengthening its capacity as a technology-driven, intelligence-led, and globally competitive customs administration.
He noted that modern customs administrations increasingly rely on intelligence-led, risk-based, and post-clearance interventions that promote voluntary compliance while supporting legitimate trade and economic growth.
According to him, the mission offers an opportunity to assess existing processes, identify operational gaps, adopt international best practices, and develop practical solutions to strengthen the Post Clearance Audit framework.
Olomu identified risk-based targeting, case management, registry management, quality assurance, standardisation, and integrated audit systems as key areas of focus.
He emphasised that effective Post Clearance Audit enables Customs to move beyond transaction-based controls to a strategic compliance management approach that enhances revenue assurance, facilitates legitimate trade, strengthens transparency, and boosts public confidence.
“This mission presents a valuable opportunity to critically assess our existing processes, identify gaps, learn from international best practices, and develop practical solutions that will strengthen our PCA framework and overall compliance management system.” he stated.
The ACG commended the Comptroller-General for his commitment to modernisation and capacity building and also appreciated the World Bank and other development partners for their sustained support for Customs reforms.
He urged participants to actively engage throughout the programme and ensure that lessons learned are translated into measurable improvements in daily operations.
Speaking at the event, World Bank Task Team Lead, Moses Kajubi, said the mission is designed to strengthen the capacity of Post Clearance Audit officers through modern customs practices, practical audit tools, and internationally recognised methodologies.
He explained that participants would be exposed to global best practices, case management techniques, and compliance management strategies that can be adapted to Nigeria’s operational environment.
Kajubi stressed the importance of leveraging technology, structured case management systems, and data-driven decision-making to improve audit quality, compliance monitoring, and trade facilitation outcomes.
“This engagement will equip participants with practical tools and global best practices that can be applied directly in the field to improve the effectiveness of Post Clearance Audit operations.”He stated.
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He expressed confidence that the engagement would strengthen institutional capacity and contribute significantly to the Nigeria Customs Service’s modernisation objectives.
Lead Consultant for the ARMOR-P, Colonel Aloke Dutt, said the mission seeks to enhance trade facilitation, optimise revenue, and improve compliance management through a more structured and unified approach to Post Clearance Audit.
He emphasised the need for standardised audit methodologies, effective monitoring mechanisms, and the integration of data analytics into audit processes to improve accountability and operational efficiency.
Dutt also highlighted the importance of leveraging technology-driven solutions such as the B’Odogwu platform and developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to support a competency-based audit system across the Service.
During a technical session, Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Muhammad  Jubril, demonstrated the Post Clearance Audit process on the B’Odogwu platform, explaining how officers can initiate audit reviews using Harmonised Commodity codes and other risk indicators.
In his closing remarks, Comptroller Muhammad Shattima encouraged participants to maximise the opportunities provided by the workshop and apply the knowledge gained to achieve the strategic objectives of the NCS.
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