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“Don’t take my friendly disposition for weakness”  Adeniyi, CGC, bares his fangs as he charges officers to brace up and ready to account for their actions.

Funso Olojo
Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, has sent a strong message to men and officers of the agency, bonded terminal operators, terminal operators, shipping companies, importers and their agents that it was not going to be business as usual under his leadership.
He warned that his benign and smiling face should not be misconstrued as a weakness as he was going to trace and track down all the merchants of death and their collaborators who were bringing in arms and ammunition and other illicit items into the country.
Adeniyi, who was on a visit to the Apapa command of the service on Thursday, July 4th, 2023, was speaking to the officers of the command about the need to be security conscious, remain vigilant and abide by the tenets of their oath they swore not to be compromised in the course of their duties.
The CGC was speaking against the backdrop of the recent avalanche of seizures of arms and ammunition at Tin Can, Onne ports and lately, Lagos Airport which has become a source of concern to the the management of customs.
Devoid of his trademark smiles and friendly banters, and in a resonating voice, Adeniyi kept his men and officers spellbound as he admonished them on the need to be professionally upright in their duties and be ready to be accountable for their actions.
“Since the beginning of this year, I am sure you must have known or heard about a customs officer or his family that was kidnapped.
“I am sure you must have heard or known a colleague or a family member of a customs officer that has been a victim of a terrorist attack, either in the North East, in the North West, or in the South”.
“So customs officers are not isolated from what is happening in the rest of the country.
” I just wanted to use those instances to draw your attention to the fact that we live in a very, very dire situation in the country”
“Unfortunately, the responsibility of making it better lies in the hands of all of us”.
“The responsibility of correcting this anomaly lies in our action or inaction”
 “You are following the developments. What happened yesterday( Wednesday at Lagos Airport).
“At the airport, with the seizure of arms and military accouterments, before last week, before the one of yesterday, there was a big incident that happened in Onne”.
“And they are going through our hands.
”  Declarations that are made by these people who go through our desk. They are inside our system”,
“What it means is that we have an onerous response. And we also have an onerous responsibility to address the national security emergency that we face in Nigeria”.
“What the trend has shown is that they are desperate, they have a network of support, they have people who conspired with them, some of them within the service, some of them outside the service”,
“And we have a responsibility not to allow them to bring those death niche merchandise into Nigeria. Of course, you know that they come in different forms.
“It’s either that they are wrongly declared, or they come to compromise our process and procedure.
“And the most important one is the fact that goods that are supposed to be scanned, or those that are supposed to undergo a physical examination, are not subjected to it”
“So, these goods are released, they are not scanned, or they are never inspected. That’s one way of doing it.
“The other one is when we say that they are going on Transire to 100 terminals, and they never get there.
“That customs officer, who would be the victim of kidnapping, who would be the victim of terrorist attack, that family that might be facing this kind of problem, might be yours or mine if we decide to abuse the oath of office that we swore to uphold. So, it’s all up to you.
Then he warned his officers of the consequences of their actions and inaction which he said could be dire.
“But the bad news for all of you is that we work with a system that has track and trace.
“What each and all of you do with our system can be tracked. It can be tracked. It can be traced. We can attribute them to you in the next seven years or beyond.
“What you do not do can also be attributed to you. So, either way, we can be located and we can be called upon to account for our actions or inaction.
“So, I therefore urge you to lead to your responsibility. This nation is ours. Revenue is important. Trade facilitation is important. We are getting it right on those ends”
“We must not fail on our mandate of national security. There are containers of fake drugs that are waiting to come out of the port as I speak.
“There are containers of arms and ammunition that are there. There are containers of frozen poultry products under import prohibition that are there as we are speaking”, he said.
“And we have all the risk indicators. To show them to us.
“We have everything it takes to trace the importers, to do system audits on our own, and put question marks on some of them”
 “So, the responsibility lies with all of us to live up to the oath of service, the oath of allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Then the clincher
“If anybody is caught on the wrong side of the law, if anybody is traced to these activities if any bonded warehouse owner is traced, if any customs agent is traced to it, we will not spare anybody. We will not spare anybody”.
He warned them not to abuse his friendly disposition as this could be fatal because he has the capacity to bite
“Those of you who know the Yoruba proverb, because people say I smile too much, that I am too friendly, that I am too soft, and I am happy to be given all of that.
“But those who do not understand Yoruba should go and hire a consultant to translate the meaning of Eyin ta finbomo rerin naaa lafin geje”.( The same teeth we use to laugh with children are the same we use to bite them)
“I wish you a nice day. Thank you”, he concluded with a deadpan expression.
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Customs

Beer merchants panic over tax stamp policy, seeks solace from Customs

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 
The proposed Tax Stamp policy of the Federal government has expectedly activated panic mode among beer industry leaders who have expressed anxiety of possible escalation in the production and consumer costs if the policy is eventually implemented.
Though, there is an ongoing dialogue between stakeholders and the government to manage the economic impact of the policy, the leaders of the brewing sector had sought more clarification on the policy from the Nigeria customs service when they engaged with the Comptroller- General of the Service, Adewale Adeniyi on Monday, May 11th, 2026.
The brewers have come to discuss the economic impact the proposed policy will have on their brewing business.
At the roundabout discussion, Adewale had emphasised the need for credible data, inclusive consultations and sustained stakeholder engagement in Nigeria’s ongoing fiscal and regulatory reforms.
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‎Speaking during the engagement, CGC Adeniyi stressed that policy decisions affecting strategic sectors of the economy must be guided by verifiable data and a clear understanding of prevailing market realities.
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“‎We need to have a clear understanding of what constitutes illicit trade. Some of these products are legitimately manufactured in Nigeria.
“In other jurisdictions,customs administrations are already engaging in discussions around how such products find their way across borders and into unauthorised markets” the CGC stated.
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‎He further underscored the importance of accuracy and credibility in industry data presented to policymakers, noting that sound policy formulation depends on reliable information.
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‎“One thing we need to understand more clearly is where some of these estimates came from.
“When we are making policy decisions of this nature, the credibility and accuracy of data must never be in doubt,” he added.
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‎Highlighting the Service’s ongoing modernisation efforts, Adeniyi noted that the NCS has continued to introduce reforms aimed at improving trade facilitation and enhancing operational efficiency across the supply chain.
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‎“We have consistently introduced initiatives aimed at facilitating trade. We introduced the Advance Ruling. We introduced the Authorised Economic Operator programme.
“We also rolled out several reforms on our own initiative, not because we were under pressure, but because we recognised the need to improve trade facilitation,” he said.
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‎On the proposed tax stamp initiative, the CGC clarified that consultations with stakeholders are still ongoing and that no final decision has been reached regarding implementation.
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‎“As far as I am concerned, consultations are still ongoing. If this initiative is legitimate and beneficial, then we all have a responsibility to ensure that we are heading in the right direction,” he stated.
‎He also encouraged private-sector operators to maintain constructive engagement with relevant government agencies to ensure that any eventual policy framework balances revenue protection with industrial sustainability and economic growth.
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‎Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Girish Sharma, said the visit was aimed at presenting the industry’s position on the proposed tax stamp framework, which he noted has generated considerable discussion within the sector.
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‎Sharma acknowledged the importance of regulatory controls but maintained that the beer industry remains one of the most structured and highly regulated sectors in Nigeria, with limited exposure to counterfeiting risks.
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‎“We fully understand the purpose and importance of tax stamps, particularly in industries where counterfeiting is a major concern.
“However, within the beer sector, counterfeiting is minimal,” Sharma said.
‎He noted that existing compliance and monitoring systems already provide adequate visibility across production and distribution channels.
‎“From an end-to-end compliance perspective, we believe there is already sufficient transparency and oversight,” he added.
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‎Sharma also highlighted the industry’s contribution to employment generation, government revenue and economic growth, cautioning that additional regulatory measures should be carefully designed to avoid unintended impacts on the sector and the wider economy.
The 2026 tax stamp policy in Nigeria is a regulatory, security-focused, and mandatory track-and-trace system imposed by the government on excisable goods—including alcohol, tobacco, and sugar-sweetened beverages—to curb illicit trade and bolster revenue.
The policy, aimed at reducing smuggling and counterfeiting, requires high-security physical labels or digital codes to be affixed to products.
The policy applies to excisable products such as tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks, with specialized stamps for textile imports, such as the Red vs. Green stamps.
 Manufacturers must ensure compliance. Under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, compliance is required, and failure to stamp documents within 30 days can lead to severe penalties, including a 10% penalty fee plus interest.
While the government aims to enhance revenue, manufacturers, particularly in the brewing sector, have raised concerns that the policy could significantly diminish profitability and increase consumer prices, with potential to create 100% loss in profits if implemented as proposed.
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Customs

At UNILORIN conference, Adeniyi advocates for human- driven technology for balanced developmental efforts

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 
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‎The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to responsible digital transformation and innovation driven governance during his keynote address at the 4th Biennial International Conference organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, in collaboration with the Faculty of Philology, RUDN University, Russia.
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‎The conference, themed “Disruptive Technology: Human and Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Economy,” was held on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, at the University of Ilorin Main Auditorium.
The event attracted academics, communication experts, technology professionals, researchers, policymakers, and heads of government agencies to deliberate on the growing influence of digital innovation and artificial intelligence on governance, education, trade, and economic development.
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‎In his address, CGC Adeniyi stressed the importance of balancing technological advancement with human responsibility, noting that the future of the digital economy depends not only on artificial intelligence but also on ethics, leadership, and institutional capacity.
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‎“The digital age is, in the end, a human story, and the real test of our generation is not how powerful our machines become, but how wisely our societies choose to use them,” Adeniyi stated.
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‎He observed that disruptive technologies such as digital payments, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and smart systems have already reshaped global operations, adding that the world is no longer preparing for disruption but actively functioning within it.
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‎According to him, government institutions must ensure that technological innovation strengthens transparency, public trust, and operational efficiency without compromising accountability.
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‎Drawing from the Nigeria Customs Service’s experience, the CGC highlighted ongoing digital transformation initiatives, particularly the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, which has significantly improved trade facilitation, cargo processing, and inter-agency collaboration.
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‎He disclosed that the platform generated over N230 billion at the PTML Command within its first eight months of deployment, while cargo clearance timelines for compliant traders have been reduced to less than eight hours.
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‎“The partnership, not the rivalry, between human and artificial intelligence is where the real value lies,” he said, adding that technology delivers optimal results when guided by strong institutional values and ethical standards.
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‎Adeniyi further noted that although artificial intelligence enhances efficiency, risk management, and decision-making, human expertise and leadership remain indispensable to effective governance and enforcement.
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‎“Technology changes processes  leadership and expertise still deliver the results,” he added.
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‎The CGC also called for stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions, and public agencies to develop practical solutions to emerging digital and governance challenges.
He urged academic institutions to move beyond theoretical learning and play a more active role in innovation and policy development.
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‎He identified areas where academia can support Customs modernisation efforts, including digital compliance systems, AI-driven risk management, public trust communication strategies, and the governance of cross border data flows.
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‎Adeniyi further advocated for the development of digital governance frameworks tailored to African realities, legal systems, and developmental priorities, emphasising that technological advancement must remain accountable to the people it serves.
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‎On the sidelines of the conference,the CGC engaged with heads of government agencies, scholars, communication professionals, traditional rulers, and institutional leaders on opportunities for collaboration in digital innovation, research, community development, and capacity building.
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Customs

Oshoba, Apapa Customs boss, charges officers on discipline, revenue, trade facilitation

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has charged officers and men of the Command to intensify revenue generation, strengthen anti-smuggling operations and uphold professionalism and discipline in the discharge of their duties.

Comptroller Oshoba gave the charge during the Command’s monthly parade held on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at the Command headquarters in Apapa, Lagos.

The Area Controller emphasized the need for greater operational interventions across terminals to block revenue leakages while ensuring seamless trade facilitation and timely cargo clearance.

“Officers must protect the reputation of the Service. That is why any delay by any officer concerning any consignment will not be tolerated.

“Even at the gates. If a consignment is duly exited, there should be no delay at the gates,” he stated.

He also urged officers to remain accessible and professional in their dealings with stakeholders.

“You must make yourself accessible to our stakeholders and we must avoid actions capable of tarnishing the good image of the Service and the good work being done by the CGC and members of his management.

“We should not be seen as slugs in the wheels of progress,” Oshoba added.

The CAC further called for heightened vigilance against smuggling activities, especially illicit drugs and prohibited items, while warning officers against misconduct and improper dressing.

Highlight of the parade was the recognition of outstanding Officers and Units for exemplary service.

Assistant Comptroller of Customs Ismail Mohammed emerged as the Most Outstanding Officer of the Month, while CSC Augustine Ondoma, ASCI Bukola Olaleye and IC Olalekan Salawu were recognized for professionalism, innovation and punctuality respectively.

Similarly, officers of APM Terminal received the Excellence Award on Enforcement, while Officers of ECO SUPPORT Terminal received the Excellence Award on Revenue Generation.

Comptroller Oshoba explained that the award initiative was introduced to encourage hard work, excellence, professionalism and healthy competition among Officers and Units of the Command.

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