Gloria Odion Maritme reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has smashed its previous single-day revenue record, raking in ₦28.102 billion in just 24 hours on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

The record ₦28,102,000,914.61 collection is the highest single-day revenue haul ever recorded by the Command, eclipsing the previous benchmark of ₦20.1 billion, achieved in September 2025, shortly after Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba assumed office as Customs Area Controller.

The latest feat comes barely three weeks after the Command posted another landmark performance, collecting an unprecedented ₦323 billion in July 2026.

The successive records point to a sustained revenue surge at Nigeria’s premier port command, driven by tighter compliance, improved trade facilitation, intelligence-led interventions and greater efficiency in digital Customs processes.

Reacting to the latest milestone, Comptroller Oshoba said the record should not be viewed merely as a collection figure, but as a reflection of Customs’ contribution to Nigeria’s economic development.

He noted that revenue generated by the Service forms part of government resources deployed to finance critical national priorities, including infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and other public services.

Oshoba dedicated the achievement to the government and people of Nigeria, while commending the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the management team for their continued support for automation, modernisation and reforms designed to make Customs operations more efficient, transparent and business-friendly.

The Apapa CAC also acknowledged the cooperation of compliant importers, exporters, licensed Customs agents and other stakeholders, as well as Nigerians whose actionable intelligence has supported the Command’s enforcement and revenue-collection efforts.

He stressed that every compliant transaction contributes to national development, urging stakeholders to continue embracing legitimate trade.

According to him, a stronger revenue base gives government greater capacity to respond to citizens’ needs, provide critical infrastructure and create an environment in which businesses can thrive.

However, Oshoba cautioned officers and men of the Command against complacency, saying the latest record should be regarded not simply as an achievement but as a greater responsibility to deliver even better results.

He directed personnel to ensure that revenue collection remains balanced with trade facilitation, professionalism, transparency and respect for legitimate stakeholders.

The CAC further ordered officers to resolve genuine disputes promptly and ensure that Customs procedures do not unnecessarily frustrate lawful businesses.

With the latest record coming on the heels of its ₦323 billion July haul, the Apapa Area Command is increasingly emerging as a major engine of Customs revenue mobilisation, while simultaneously seeking to deepen compliance and facilitate legitimate trade.

The Command said it would sustain the momentum through enhanced revenue collection, improved trade facilitation, professionalism, digitalisation and stronger collaboration with stakeholders.

For Oshoba, the message behind the numbers is clear: every legitimate naira collected strengthens government’s capacity to deliver on its development agenda and improve the welfare of Nigerians.

Gloria Odion Maritme reporter 

The Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has announced the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubuformer Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and  Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, as the keynote speaker at the 2026 edition of its Maritime Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL).

The flagship event is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Nigerian Air Force Event Centre, No. 1 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos

The 2026 edition of MAMAL is themed “Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”

The lecture is expected to bring together senior government officials, maritime regulators, academics, shipping executives, freight forwarders, port users, journalists and other stakeholders to examine the challenges confronting Nigeria’s ports and the urgent reforms required to strengthen their competitiveness.

The Executive Director, Technical, of TANTITA Security Services Limited, Captain Warredi Enisouh, will chair the event, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, will attend as Special Guest of Honour.

Speaking on the significance of the theme, MARAN President, Mr. Yinka Onigbinde, said the lecture would provide a strategic platform for stakeholders to examine the need for modern, efficient and competitive port infrastructure.

According to him, modernising Nigeria’s ports is critical to improving cargo handling, reducing delays and logistics costs, attracting investment and strengthening the country’s position as a competitive maritime hub.

Onigbinde added that the lecture would also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to engage constructively on port charges and other factors affecting the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.

He described Hadiza Bala Usman as an experienced voice in the maritime industry whose knowledge and experience would add significant value to the discussions.

The MARAN President also expressed appreciation to Captain Enisouh for accepting to chair the event, noting that his experience in maritime security and industry development would further enrich the programme.

He said the presence of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy as Special Guest of Honour underscored the importance of the subject and the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition Nigeria’s maritime sector for greater efficiency and competitiveness.

Onigbinde noted that the 2026 edition would be the fourth in the MAMAL series, reinforcing MARAN’s commitment to providing a credible platform for informed debate, professional engagement and policy dialogue on critical issues affecting Nigeria’s maritime industry.

MARAN therefore invites government officials, maritime regulators, port operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders, academics, industry associations, port users, the media and other stakeholders to participate in the landmark event.

Gloria Odion, Maritme reporter

The Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has officially commenced operations as Nigeria’s new statutory economic regulator for the nation’s ports.

This development ushers in a new phase in the country’s port governance with a mandate to enforce fair tariffs, promote competition, accelerate cargo clearance and create a more predictable business environment.

The commencement of operations follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, which formally establishes NPERA as the dedicated authority responsible for the economic regulation of Nigeria’s ports.

Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, described the development as a “fundamental reform” of Nigeria’s port governance, saying it represents the culmination of nearly five decades of institutional evolution in port economic regulation.

Shema traced the history of port economic regulation in Nigeria to the establishment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1978 and the subsequent concessioning of port terminals in 2006.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council was designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014 and subsequently performed critical functions, including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.

With the enactment of the NPERA Act, Shema said those responsibilities now have a permanent statutory foundation.

Under the new framework, NPERA will regulate port tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation and the protection of port users.

“This is not about creating competing authorities. It is about establishing a coherent system in which institutions work together, each within its statutory responsibilities,” Shema said.

He stressed that the creation of NPERA would not undermine the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and its landlord functions.

Rather, he said, NPERA would concentrate on reducing regulatory uncertainty, eliminating unnecessary barriers, facilitating faster cargo movement and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a competitive trading and investment destination.

Shema identified transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability as the five principles that would anchor the agency’s regulatory framework.

On tariffs, he said NPERA would give port users greater clarity on the basis for regulated charges, while service providers would have clearer expectations regarding compliance and regulatory requirements.

The agency, he added, would also provide more accessible mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes and deploy digital platforms for licensing, tariff administration, regulatory monitoring, compliance and stakeholder engagement.

Shema assured stakeholders that the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA would be orderly and designed to minimise disruption to port operations.

He said the transition process would address personnel, assets, liabilities, existing contracts, pending disputes, regulatory records and licensing arrangements.

The NPERA chairman also called for sustained collaboration among the NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and other stakeholders.

“The establishment of NPERA is a historic achievement, but the harder work begins now,” he said.

According to him, the real test of the new agency will be its ability to convert the provisions of the law into tangible improvements in port services, operational efficiency, regulatory certainty and national competitiveness.

“The new era of port economic regulation has begun. The journey has been long. The opportunity before us is enormous. And the work starts now,” he added.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the new law and the agency’s operations would significantly clarify Nigeria’s port regulatory environment within the next one to two years.

Akutah said NPERA would prioritise fair pricing, promote healthy competition, enhance trade facilitation and strengthen government revenue.

He added that the NPERA Act gives the agency stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the interests and welfare of port users and other stakeholders.

The emergence of NPERA marks a significant restructuring of Nigeria’s port governance architecture, with economic regulation now vested in a dedicated statutory institution separate from the NPA’s infrastructure and landlord functions.

For port users and operators, the new regime is expected to bring greater clarity to tariffs, charges, licensing and service standards, while providing a more structured avenue for resolving commercial disputes.

But beyond the institutional change, the success of NPERA will ultimately be measured by what happens inside Nigeria’s ports: whether cargo moves faster, charges become more transparent, disputes are resolved more efficiently, investors gain greater confidence and Nigerian ports become more competitive.

The agency therefore faces a formidable task. Its credibility will depend not merely on the powers conferred by the new law, but on how effectively those powers are exercised, how consistently regulations are enforced and how quickly port users begin to experience measurable improvements.

For an industry long confronted by complaints over multiple charges, regulatory uncertainty, delays and inefficiencies, the arrival of NPERA represents a significant opportunity.

The challenge now is to turn that opportunity into results.