Connect with us

Customs

 Freight expert tasks customs on eliminating human contacts in its operations to curb corruption

Dr. Segun Musa

—commends CGC Adeniyi for improved customs operations 

Funso OLOJO 
Dr. Segun Musa, the Deputy National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF), has urged the management of the Nigeria Customs Service to eliminate human contacts in its operations to minimize corruption in the cargo delivery system at the ports.
Musa, who was a guest at the roundtable conference organized by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria(MARAN), claimed that 50 percent of Nigeria’s corruption emanates from the ports.
The NAGAFF chieftain believed that if the customs adopts full automation of its operations, it will not only facilitate legitimate trade but reduces corruption in the clearance system to a minimum.
The freight forwarder cum politician who once contested for the governorship election in Lagos State, however, commended the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for his transformational leadership which he confessed has greatly improved the operations of the agency.
” There is an improvement in the operations of the customs under the present leadership of Wale Adeniyi but there is still room for more improvement” he declared.
He believed the agency has greatly improved in the area of technology.
” Before now, when Customs officers wanted to access their system, they used their passwords.
” But now, they do that through their thumbprints
” This will make it difficult for any other person to gain access to their system or steal their passwords, even passwords alone cannot gain access to the system except through their thumbprints” he noted.
The NAGAFF chief however appealed to the customs management to grant clearing agents similar privilege that will allow them to use their thumbprints to enter their entries into their system.
He said he made this call to reduce the high incidence of sending innocent customs brokers to jail for offences they did not commit.
“A lot of agents have gone to jail for offences they did not commit but which somebody who fraudulently used their licenses to perpetrate the illicit acts.
“If we are made to be using our thumbprints to access customs portal to lodge our entries just like customs officers do access their NICSII platform, fraudulent people will not be able to use our license to do illegal business” he noted.
He urged the customs authority to fully automate its operations unlike what he described as semi-automation that presently obtains.
According to him, with full automation, there would be no need for agents to physically interact with officers as it is presently done.
” Customs operations should be fully automated to eliminate human contacts.
“We, as customs agents, do not want to interface with customs officers again.
” Yes, Customs say we are corrupt. We have accepted that we are corrupt.
“But we do not want to be corrupt again.
” We want to be as saint as the customs officers so we do not want to interface with them again.
“Let us be relating with them virtually, online” Musa insisted.
To further eliminate corruption and human contacts with customs officers, the freight forwarder cum politician wanted the customs to assign codes to their documents so that officers processing such documents will not have access to the owners.
” Also, the name of the company must not be on the license. It should be a code.
” Let every company have a code. This will make it impossible for the officer treating a particular job to interface with the owner.
” Let’s make it difficult for such an officer to identify the owner of the document”
” This will eliminate interaction and familiarity between the customs officers and owners of the license which often leads to compromise and extortion.
He claimed that through such an unholy alliance between the customs officers and importers, clearing agents have often lost the services of their clients who abandoned them after such interactions with the officers.
The NAGAFF chief also advised the customs management to always give a timeline for a document to spend with an officer.
” When the entry gets to the table of an officer, it must be timed and be given a timeline which an entry must spend with the officer with the caveat that if he doesn’t process the document or query it, as the case may be, say in five minutes, such an officer will be queried. This is how to facilitate trade.
” As an importer or clearing agent, I don’t need to go to the customs or terminal operators or shipping companies to get my job out”
” Gone were the days. The world has moved beyond that stage and we cannot continue to be living in the past.
” Our counterparts in other African countries have gone far ahead of Nigeria in terms of trade facilitation.
” We do not want to know customs officers and they too should not know us as freight forwarders to do our job.
” My job must not be treated because I know the CGC or the CAC. My document must be treated on merit, with no preferential treatment.
” Let everyone be treated equally, after all, we the agents charge our clients agency fees” he asserted.
Musa said that the only way legitimate trade could be facilitated is when the customs, shipping companies and terminal operators fully automate their operations and reduce human contact.
” If corruption in the ports, which accounts for about 50 percent of corruption in the country, is reduced to a bearest minimum, the prices of goods in the market will be cheaper.
” People have often claimed that the cost of doing business at the  Nigerian Ports is very expensive. Why is this so?
” Because we are still operating an analogy system in a highly automated world.
” By the time we migrate into full automated system, prices of commodities in the markets will be cheaper .”
” This is because I don’t have to bribe customs officers to treat my document, I don’t have to pay higher storage or demurrage charges to exit my goods from the port.
” My shipment will not get to its expiry date before I get it out. That is what we call trade facilitation”
” If the customs officer queries your job, get about 6 months bond and argue the matter.
” If the customs has a superior argument for the query, you as the importer or his agent will pay the DN and the accumulated charges.
” But if you, as an agent, have a superior argument and win the case and they did not allow you to provide a bond and your shipment gets stuck at the port, accumulating demurrage, the officer who issued the query should be queried and made to pay any accumulated charges, including paying the inconveniences of the agent.
” This will serve as a deterrent to other officers who deliberately delay the processing of documents to frustrate agents who are forced to compromise” the NAGAFF chieftain observed.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Customs

Seme Customs in revenue windfall as it collects N3.5 billion in February.

Funso OLOJO,Editor 
The Seme command of the Nigeria Customs Service has continued to sustain its revenue momentious
trajectory under the leadership of its Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
According to revenue statistics made available to our reporter by the command, it has garnered a princely sum of N3,480,970,924.67 in revenue for the month of February 2026, with the month still ongoing.
Comptroller Adenuga made this disclosure during an interactive session at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting with cross-border traders ,farmers and stakeholders organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme and GIZ International.
The event, held in Badagry on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, was themed “Empowering Cross-Border Traders through Trade Information Desk for Agricultural Traders”.
Comptroller Adenuga noted the revenue figure represents a remarkable improvement over the N743,698,652.16 recorded in February 2025 which he attributed to the seamless trade facilitation process adopted at the Command.
 “For this February that has not yet ended, we have already generated N3,480,970,924.67 as against N743,698,652.16 revenue generated in February 2025″ Adenuga told the stakeholders.
He said the feat was a reflection of
the flow of trade which he believed was getting better as people are building greater confidence in the Seme–Krake corridor.
Comptroller Adenuga assured traders and stakeholders that the significant reduction in checkpoints along the Seme–Gbaji axis is the direct result of strong collaborative efforts with other security agencies operating within the corridor.
 He disclosed that only Agbara and Gbaji remain the officially Customs approved and sanctioned checkpoints along this Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
The Customs Chief further attributed the noticeable decline in crime rates along the Seme-Gbaji axis to the positive outcomes of monthly joint border security meetings involving all agencies at the border post.
These regular inter-agency engagements, according to him, have strengthened better cooperation, improved intelligence sharing and more effective responses to security challenges, thereby creating a safer and more enabling environment for cross-border trade.
Adenuga declared that while revenue generation and trade facilitation remain key priorities, the Command’s mandate extends firmly to combating illicit activities.
The CAC highlighted recent enforcement successes, including the interception of a Toyota Highlander vehicle conveying 22 packages of cocaine with an estimated street value exceeding N1 billion, a feat he claimed was made possible based on very  credible information shared by the CGC.
In addition, during February 2026 alone, the Command has seized 1,000 bags of 50kg parboiled rice, underscoring its unwavering commitment to suppressing smuggling and protecting Nigeria’s economic borders.
Comptroller Adenuga reiterated the vigilance and commitment of the operatives of the Command in working closely with stakeholders, traders, farmers, sister security agencies and regional partners to improve the momentum of trade and security along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
Continue Reading

Customs

Apapa Customs, Navy deepen partnership for seamless cargo movement along Apapa port corridor 

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter 
The Customs Area Controller (CAC),
Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has solicited sustained support of the Western Naval Command to ensure seamless cargo movement along the Apapa port corridor.
Comptroller Oshoba made the call on  Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, while on a courtesy visit to Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command.
The visit was meant to deepen operational collaboration in line with the three policy thrusts of Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Speaking during the visit, the CAC stated: “The CGC has three key policy thrusts.
” The first is consolidation. On assuming duty, I resolved to consolidate on the gains already achieved and improve the existing relationship between Apapa Command and the Nigerian Navy within this axis.”
On collaboration, he noted that modern border management requires agencies to work in tandem, adding: “While Customs is known for trade facilitation and revenue generation, we also perform critical security functions.
“To achieve this mandate, we must collaborate with the military, the mother of security.”
On innovation, he added: “Innovation is doing things differently to achieve better results and strengthening inter-agency cooperation is part of that approach.”
He appreciated the Navy for securing Nigeria’s waters, stating: “No vessel can come into the country without safe waters.
” We commend you for keeping the maritime environment secure.”
In his response, Rear Admiral Mustapha acknowledged the longstanding partnership between both agencies, emphasizing: “Port security is about inter-agency and coordination. Without security, there is no development.”
He commended the Service under CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for its performance, noting: “The Customs has done exceptionally well in blocking revenue leakages and surpassing national revenue targets.
“Continue what you are doing; with more revenue, there will be more infrastructure and social safety network for the country.”
The FOC assured the Command of improved and seamless cooperation in securing the maritime domain and supporting national economic growth.
Continue Reading

Customs

Customs automates acquisition, renewal of licenses, permits to enhance efficiency, revenue boost.

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
In order to consolidate the automation of its operations, the Nigeria Customs Service, has concluded preparations to automate the process of Licenses, Permits acquisition and renewal.
To achieve this landmark initiative, the Service has trained  its bond officers of various area commands who will drive the process.
While unveiling the automation process to stakeholders in Lagos on Monday, February 23rd, 2026, the Comptroller – General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi said the initiative was driven by the desire of the Customs management to make licenses and permits acquisition and renewal less cumbersome, promote ease of doing business and boost revenue generation.
CGC Adeniyi, who was represented by Comptroller NJ Anozie, further expanded the benefits of the automation process.
“Automation will save importers, clearing and forwarding agents the stress of acquiring or renewing their Licenses and Permits as they would be sitting in the comfort of their offices/homes to initiate and complete the process.
“Officers and  men of License and Permit Unit, the bond seat unit of various Commands will also be saved some stress, as all their responsibilities would just be ‘clicks’ on the systems in front of their desks, as opposed to carrying loads of files from one table to another and from one office to the other.
“Automation will cut the cost of doing business and minimize movement risks for our stakeholders.
“They would no longer be jumping on buses or flights to and fro Customs Headquarters-Abuja, paying hotel bills plus feeding for days, to obtain or renew their licenses and permits.
“Automation will minimize, if not eradicate fraudulent practices in the system, as every single document that is uploaded in the course of this process will be automatically rejected by default, if it is fake and accepted if it is genuine.
 “L&P can now view assessments through the B’Odogwu to be sure that any company applying for fresh or renewal of licences or permits is not having unpaid assessments hanging on it”
The Customs boss said he was poised to sanitize the system and urged the Licences and Permits unit of the Service to be passionate in driving this initiative.
He further disclosed that the automation process will save the importers and their agents time and money which they normally expended in manual process.
Adeniyi urged the stakeholders to take advantage of this new initiative, assuring them that they would adequately be guided on how to key into the system by the bond officers who have already been trained.
Continue Reading

Trending