Funso OLOJO, Editor 

For decades, the Idiroko border corridor has existed at the intersection of legitimate commerce and the informal economy, serving simultaneously as a gateway for legitimate trans-border trade and a lucrative passage for smugglers exploiting Nigeria’s long and porous western frontier.

But that business environment appears to be undergoing a gradual transformation.

At the centre of the emerging change is the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, where the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, has adopted a more aggressive intelligence-led enforcement strategy aimed at altering the risk-reward equation that has historically sustained illicit commerce along the corridor.

Afeni’s philosophy is relatively straightforward: legitimate trade should be facilitated, but smuggling, drug trafficking and other forms of economic sabotage must become increasingly difficult, expensive and dangerous.

The latest operational scorecard presented by the Command on Thursday, August 13th, 2026 provides an insight into the scale of that campaign.

The Command paraded seizures with a combined Duty Paid Value of N3.574 billion, covering agricultural products, petroleum products, textiles, consumer goods and narcotics.

Among the intercepted items were 2,339 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 70 cartons of basmati rice, 6,035 parcels of Ghana Loud/Indica, 30 bags of foreign sugar, 11,450 litres of PMS in kegs, 1,750 litres of PMS in drums, 30 kegs of diesel, 100 bags of fertilizer and 67 bales of second-hand clothing.

The seizure list also included thousands of pieces of new clothing, drinks, cosmetics, hair accessories, fire extinguishers, purses and other consumer products.

But the significance of the figures does not lie merely in their monetary value. They provide an indication of the variety of commercial activities that the Command is now confronting along the border—and of the extent to which enforcement is beginning to influence the operating environment for both legitimate traders and illicit networks.

The Idiroko corridor has never been simply a Customs enforcement zone. It is a commercial ecosystem connecting communities and businesses on both sides of the Nigeria-Benin frontier.

For legitimate traders, the border provides access to markets, goods and opportunities for cross-border commerce.

For smugglers, however, the same geography presents opportunities to bypass formal import procedures and exploit differences in prices, taxes, restrictions and market demand between the two countries.
That is where Afeni’s intervention becomes significant.

Rather than viewing seizures as isolated enforcement events, the current strategy increasingly appears designed to disrupt the underlying business model of smuggling.

Every intercepted truck, vehicle, petroleum consignment, rice shipment or narcotics parcel represents not only a seizure but a potential interruption of a supply chain.

The objective is to make illegal trade less predictable and less profitable.

Rice and the economics of local production

Foreign parboiled rice remains one of the most visible commodities in the border enforcement equation.

The interception of more than 2,300 bags in the latest operation reinforces the persistent pressure on domestic rice production from illicit imports.

Afeni’s argument is that smuggling should be viewed through the prism of economic protection rather than merely customs prohibition.

When imported rice enters Nigeria outside the approved channels, it competes directly with Nigerian farmers, millers and distributors without necessarily bearing the same regulatory and fiscal obligations.

For a government attempting to strengthen domestic agricultural production, such competition can undermine investment and discourage farmers from expanding production.

The Ogun I campaign therefore places border enforcement within the broader question of Nigeria’s food-security strategy.
In Afeni’s formulation, protecting the border is also protecting the farmer.

The narcotics economy

If rice represents the agricultural dimension of the border challenge, narcotics represent its darker security dimension.

The Command’s interception of 6,035 parcels of Ghana Loud/Indica in the latest operation is significant, but the larger figure disclosed by Afeni is even more revealing.

From January to date, he said, Ogun I has handed over 32,412 parcels of hard drugs and 92 sacks of raw Cannabis sativa to the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command.

That figure places narcotics enforcement firmly among the Command’s major operational priorities.

It also demonstrates why border security increasingly requires agencies to work beyond traditional institutional boundaries.

Customs officers may intercept the shipment, but the investigation, drug intelligence and prosecution process require the specialised capabilities of the NDLEA and other security agencies.

The formal handover of the seized narcotics during Thursday’s event therefore symbolised the growing importance of inter-agency collaboration in securing the corridor.

The border as an export gateway

Perhaps one of the less discussed aspects of the Ogun I story is the Command’s export performance.

While considerable attention is naturally attracted by seizures, the Command also recorded 10,110 metric tonnes of exports, with a Free On Board value of N2.594 billion.
White talc, crushed thermal coal and CNG were identified as the principal drivers of the export volume.

That statistic is important because it challenges the perception of Idiroko principally as a route for imported goods.
The corridor is also capable of serving as a platform for Nigerian exports.

This creates a potentially important policy distinction. The objective of effective border management should not be to suppress cross-border commerce; rather, it should be to differentiate legitimate commerce from illicit trade and create an environment where compliant businesses can operate with greater certainty.

For Customs, that means enforcement and trade facilitation must move together.

Revenue from the corridor

The Command’s fiscal contribution also offers another measure of its economic relevance.
In July alone, Ogun I collected N90.066 million from baggage assessments, auctions of perishable items, PMS and other charges.

Although the figure is modest when compared with the revenue generated by Nigeria’s major seaport commands, it illustrates the multiple revenue streams available within the border environment.

More importantly, it demonstrates that the border economy extends beyond the conventional importation of goods.

A new risk calculation for smugglers

The central question surrounding Afeni’s tenure may therefore not be how many seizures the Command records in a particular month.

It may be whether the enforcement campaign is succeeding in changing the underlying calculation made by those who contemplate using the Idiroko corridor for illegal trade.

For years, smuggling has survived because its potential returns could outweigh the risks of interception.

That equation changes when intelligence improves, surveillance becomes more effective, inter-agency coordination becomes stronger and seized goods are followed by investigation and prosecution.

Afeni’s repeated warning that the Command intends to make Ogun I “hostile” to smugglers is therefore more than rhetoric.

It represents an attempt to change the commercial environment in which illicit operators make their decisions.
But legitimate trade must remain protected

There is, however, another side to the equation. Idiroko’s importance cannot be measured only by the volume of contraband intercepted.

Thousands of Nigerians depend on legitimate cross-border commercial activity, while manufacturers, exporters, transporters, farmers and traders require an efficient and predictable border environment.

This makes Afeni’s appeal to the media to distinguish legitimate trade from illicit activity particularly important.

An aggressive enforcement regime that succeeds in deterring smuggling but inadvertently discourages legitimate commerce would produce an incomplete outcome.

The real measure of success would be a corridor where legitimate traders face greater certainty while smugglers face greater uncertainty.

That distinction will be critical to the long-term economic impact of the current enforcement drive.

From border enforcement to economic protection

Afeni’s presentation ultimately places the Ogun I Command at the intersection of three major national priorities: security, economic protection and trade facilitation.

The seizure of foreign rice speaks to agricultural protection.
The interception of narcotics speaks to public safety and national security.

The export figures point towards the untapped commercial potential of the corridor.
The revenue figures demonstrate its fiscal relevance.

Taken together, the figures suggest that what is happening at Ogun I is bigger than a succession of seizure announcements.
It is a contest over the character of the Idiroko border economy itself.

Whether the emerging model can permanently shift the corridor from an environment where illicit commerce flourishes to one where legitimate trans-border trade becomes the dominant business model will depend on the sustainability of enforcement, the efficiency of Customs procedures, infrastructure, inter-agency cooperation and the willingness of border communities to support lawful commerce.

For now, however, Afeni appears determined to push the equation in one direction.
Make legitimate trade easier to identify and protect—and make smuggling increasingly difficult to sustain.

That could ultimately prove to be the most consequential change taking place along the Idiroko corridor.

Funso Olojo, Editor 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has smashed its previous revenue record, collecting a staggering ₦323 billion in July 2026, the highest monthly revenue ever recorded by the Command.

The landmark performance eclipses the Command’s previous record of ₦304 billion achieved in October 2025, further cementing Apapa Customs’ position as the NCS’s revenue powerhouse.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, disclosed the figure on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the Command’s monthly meeting with Deputy Comptrollers in charge of terminals and Unit Heads.

Oshoba attributed the unprecedented revenue haul to a combination of policy support, operational reforms, improved trade facilitation and stronger compliance by stakeholders.

He particularly commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the NCS management team for driving reforms aimed at modernising customs administration and improving the business environment.

“We recognise and acknowledge the CGC’s devotion and dedication to the modernisation project of the Nigerian Customs Service. The management team has introduced several innovations that have streamlined our activities and given us clear direction,” Oshoba said.

According to him, the reforms are beginning to translate into measurable operational and revenue gains, citing the improved performance of the B’Odogwu customs management system.

Oshoba acknowledged that the digital platform initially encountered operational challenges but said subsequent improvements had significantly enhanced its performance and contributed to the Command’s revenue growth.

He also credited the One-Stop Shop (OSS) initiative with reducing cargo delivery time and creating a more predictable trading environment that encourages legitimate importation.

Another major contributor, he said, was the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) framework, which currently has more than 200 beneficiaries.

The CAC noted that the AEO programme had strengthened trust between Customs and compliant businesses while positively impacting the Command’s revenue profile.

Enforcement drives compliance

Beyond trade facilitation, Oshoba said intelligence-led enforcement remained critical to protecting government revenue.

He disclosed that officers and men of the Command had intensified interventions against false declarations and other infractions while ensuring strict compliance with approved valuation principles.

He stressed that the objective was not merely to increase revenue but to ensure that legitimate trade was protected and government revenue was not lost through deliberate evasion.

Oshoba also linked the improved performance to the more stable foreign exchange environment under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said greater predictability in the forex market had enabled importers and other business operators to plan more effectively, make informed commercial decisions and undertake international trade with increased confidence.

The CAC, however, challenged officers to look beyond routine revenue collection and measure their individual contributions through meaningful interventions.

“In your area of responsibility, you must ask yourself, apart from the normal revenue generated by your unit, what is your own contribution in terms of intervention? What have I added?” he asked.

‘Give stakeholders hope’

Oshoba also placed strong emphasis on trade facilitation and the ease of doing business, urging officers to ensure that legitimate businesses are not unnecessarily frustrated.

He directed officers to resolve disputes promptly where consignments require further scrutiny and ensure that proper documentation and the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) process are deployed appropriately.

On stakeholder relations, he gave officers a simple but pointed directive: “When you interact with stakeholders, let them leave your office with hope rather than despair.”

“As a leader, do not allow anyone who comes to you to depart feeling hopeless or depressed. Give people hope,” he added.

The CAC acknowledged the cooperation of stakeholders and sister government agencies, saying their support had contributed to improved compliance and greater order within the Apapa business environment.

He urged officers to sustain the confidence by maintaining professionalism, respect and collaboration in their dealings with stakeholders.

Sustaining the momentum

Oshoba charged personnel to uphold transparency and discipline while adapting continuously to evolving digital customs processes.

He urged officers to consult more experienced colleagues when necessary, undertake continuous professional development and work smarter to improve productivity.

He also called on Staff Officers to support Deputy Comptrollers in maintaining discipline and building a healthy workplace founded on compassion, empathy, teamwork and concern for the welfare of subordinates.

The CAC further directed the Command to maintain heightened security consciousness, strengthen supervision, intensify in-house training and ensure strict compliance with approved procedures.

While commending officers and compliant stakeholders for the record-breaking performance, Oshoba cautioned that the ₦323 billion milestone should not be treated as an end in itself.

Rather, he described it as a springboard for greater achievements as the year 2026 enters its final months.

The July performance therefore represents not only a new revenue benchmark for Apapa Customs but also a significant test of whether the Command can sustain the momentum through stronger compliance, smarter enforcement and faster cargo clearance in the months ahead.

Ibrahim Nasiru

President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, 2026, is the single most consequential legislative event in the modern history of our maritime domain.

Announced on August 13, 2026, by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, this law marks the definitive end of regulatory hesitation at our Port gates.

For over a decade, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council operated under a crippling structural handicap.

Drafted as an interim economic regulator by policy directive in 2014, the Council was essentially a referee without a whistle.

It relied heavily on moral suasion, diplomatic mediation, and advocacy to get things done.

Multinational shipping lines and terminal concessionaires knew this systemic weakness and exploited it.

They routinely dragged the Council to court to stall enforcement, buy time, and protect their arbitrary local charges.

NPERA completely dismantles that analogue era of compromise. This is not the creation of a fresh, bloated bureaucratic agency; it is a statutory evolution.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has officially been weaponized into an independent, executive umpire backed by the full raw enforcement powers of an Act of Parliament.

The immediate message to the maritime community is loud and direct: the era of arbitrary tariff regimes and parallel pricing structures is officially dead.

Under the new NPERA framework, the agency holds exclusive statutory powers to approve, review, or freeze Port costs.

Any shipping line or terminal manager attempting to introduce unapproved local handling fees or manipulative demurrage timelines will face immediate, binding legal sanctions.

Crucially, this new law draws a hard line under the chronic agency supremacy tussles that have choked national productivity for years.

The operational boundaries are now mathematically clear. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) remains the technical landlord. NIMASA retains control over safety and marine security. NPERA steps in as the supreme financial and economic regulator.

Furthermore, the introduction of specialized administrative arbitration tribunals means shippers no longer have to endure years of delayed litigation in civilian courts to resolve commercial disputes.

Wrongful container detentions and predatory monopolies can now be penalised within a specialized regulatory framework.

However, stakeholders must understand that this transition operates on a tight bureaucratic clock.

While the policy freeze on unapproved tariffs is immediate, the next 90 days will see the formal gazetting and full asset migration into the new legal structure.

By late 2026, mandatory statutory registration for all active maritime service providers will become an unyielding reality.

The signature on the bill is a massive victory, but paper alone cannot clear a port corridor.

The newly empowered leadership of NPERA must immediately deploy these legal teeth to smash the manual bottlenecks and parallel checkpoints that undermine our trade velocity.

The law has changed, the referee finally has a whistle, and the industry must align with this new enforcement reality.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja