— Vows to sustain ₦323bn monthly revenue record, end cargo delays

Funso OLOJO, Editor 

Comptroller Murtala Mu’azu has assumed duty as the 33rd Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Apapa Area Command, pledging to sustain the Command’s revenue momentum while eliminating avoidable delays in cargo clearance and strengthening trade facilitation at Nigeria’s busiest port.

Mu’azu formally took over from Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba (rd) on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026, at a ceremony held at the Auditorium of the Apapa Area Command, Lagos, attended by senior security and regulatory officials, government agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, customs brokers, importers, exporters and other port stakeholders.

The new Controller inherits a Command that recently posted some of the most impressive revenue figures in its history, including a record ₦323 billion monthly collection in July 2026 and a single-day collection of ₦28.102 billion on August 18, 2026.

Acknowledging the weight of the responsibility before him, Mu’azu described his appointment as “a great honour and privilege,” thanking the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the confidence reposed in him.

He pledged to discharge the responsibility with “a deep sense of duty” and in line with the economic interests of the country, promising to build on the Command’s achievements in revenue generation, enforcement, trade facilitation and institutional discipline.

The new CAC said his administration would be anchored on the three strategic pillars of the Comptroller-General — consolidation, collaboration and innovation — with particular attention to revenue integrity, efficient trade facilitation, professionalism and meaningful engagement with stakeholders.

On revenue collection, Mu’azu was unequivocal, declaring that every revenue due to government must be properly assessed and collected.

“Every revenue due to government must be properly assessed and collected, and every decision taken by our officers must be capable of standing the test of scrutiny over time,” he said.

But beyond revenue, the new Controller signalled that reducing bottlenecks in cargo clearance would be a major priority of his administration.

He declared that avoidable human delays in cargo processing, which he described as “Non-Tariff Barriers”, would no longer be tolerated.

“Unnecessary human delays in cargo processing otherwise known as Non-Tariff Barriers shall not be tolerated henceforth,” Mu’azu said.

According to him, once all statutory requirements have been met, legitimate cargo should be allowed to move without unnecessary obstruction.

He consequently charged Customs officers to maintain discipline, professionalism, courtesy and decorum in their dealings with importers, exporters, customs brokers and other members of the trading public.

Mu’azu also promised to deepen collaboration with importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, shipping companies, terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other government agencies operating within the port environment.

He said such collaboration was essential to making Apapa Port more efficient, predictable and responsive to legitimate trade.

The new CAC openly acknowledged the scale of the revenue challenge left by his predecessor, Oshoba, particularly the unprecedented figures recorded under the outgoing Controller.

“This is indeed a record to reckon with and strive towards matching same. It is therefore a Herculean task upon myself and my team to match and surpass such a record,” Mu’azu said.

He also commended Oshoba for his contributions to enforcement, trade facilitation and the implementation of key modernisation initiatives of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Among the initiatives highlighted were B’Odogwu, Advance Ruling, the Authorised Economic Operator Programme, the One-Stop Shop and Non-Intrusive Inspection technology.

The Advance Ruling programme, in particular, has been positioned as a mechanism for providing greater predictability to legitimate traders by enabling them to obtain clarity on Customs treatment before importation.

Oshoba had, in his farewell address, described Advance Ruling as an initiative that provides legitimate traders with greater predictability and clarity on Customs treatment before importation, thereby reducing uncertainty and strengthening confidence in the trading environment.

In his farewell remarks, Oshoba attributed the achievements recorded during his tenure to the collective efforts of officers, stakeholders and partners of the Command.

“The achievements recorded during my tenure do not belong to one individual. They belong to all of us,” he said.

He charged officers to sustain the standards established during his tenure, stressing that discipline, professionalism and excellence must remain central to the Command’s operations.

“Discipline must remain our foundation, professionalism our standard and excellence our aspiration,” Oshoba said.

He also appealed to officers and stakeholders to extend the same cooperation and support to his successor.

Mu’azu, in turn, called for collective ownership of the Command’s mandate, stressing that the responsibility for sustaining Apapa’s performance could not rest on the CAC alone.

“The success we seek cannot be achieved by the CAC alone. It requires our collective efforts, operational integrity and willingness to uphold the standards of the Service,” he said.

He assured stakeholders that his administration would operate an open and constructive engagement framework based on fairness, mutual respect and the national interest.

With the transition now completed, the new Apapa Customs administration faces the dual task of protecting the Command’s record-breaking revenue performance while making cargo clearance faster, more predictable and less burdened by avoidable administrative delays.

Mu’azu expressed confidence that, with the support of officers and stakeholders, Apapa Area Command would continue to serve as a model of efficient revenue administration, legitimate trade facilitation and professional Customs conduct.

By Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has concluded its 2025 recruitment exercise, offering employment to 3,852 successful candidates after more than one year of screening and assessment.

The recruitment exercise, which began with a newspaper advertisement on December 27, 2024, was initially designed to fill 3,927 vacancies across various cadres of the Service.
The exercise attracted a staggering 573,500 applications, out of which 286,697 candidates were shortlisted after the initial screening.

Following several phases of rigorous screening, the number was eventually reduced to 3,853 candidates, with 3,852 candidates completing the final screening and being offered employment.

The final stage of the exercise was conducted at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Gwagwalada, Abuja, where candidates across the different cadres underwent documentation, physical fitness assessment and medical screening.

The two-week final screening exercise, which commenced on Monday, September 7, 2026, ended on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

It covered candidates shortlisted for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASCII), Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.

The screening was conducted in batches to ensure an orderly process, reduce congestion and improve the overall experience of candidates.

Speaking on the outcome of the exercise, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, said the Service had introduced measures to address challenges identified during the earlier stages of the exercise and improve the efficiency of the final screening.

“We have put measures in place to reduce congestion and ensure a smoother process this week. The gaps identified last week have been addressed, and we do not expect them to recur this week,” Onyeka said.

He also stressed the need for discipline, responsibility and strict compliance with established procedures throughout the recruitment process.

Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and member of the coordinating team, Adamu Musa, said the exercise recorded significant improvements, with nearly 3,000 candidates screened without any casualty.

According to him, one of the major innovations introduced into the process was the use of personalised screening forms containing candidates’ records from the various stages of the assessment.

“Any candidate that has been shortlisted has a form designed especially for him, unlike in the past where you come, they issue you a form, and then some people along the way go and even change some of the records.

“These forms come with the candidates’ records, including their names and details for sports, medical, documentation, and the checklist of required items. So, once the candidate comes, you just verify what you already have from the system,” Musa explained.

He said the introduction of the personalised forms had helped to strengthen the integrity of the process and reduce the possibility of manipulation of candidates’ records.

Musa further underscored the importance of continuous manpower development in strengthening the capacity of the Service to effectively discharge its responsibilities in national security, border protection, trade facilitation and other statutory functions.

He noted that the expanding responsibilities of the Customs Service made it imperative to continually improve the quality, competence and preparedness of its workforce.

According to him, candidates were assessed against established recruitment criteria, including age, physical fitness and drug screening.

He explained that candidates who tested positive for prohibited substances, exceeded the prescribed age limit or were found to have physical conditions capable of affecting their ability to perform assigned duties could be disqualified, subject to the final decision of the Service management.

Musa also advised candidates and members of the public to rely only on recruitment information published through the official Nigeria Customs Service website and verified social media platforms.

He warned against relying on unverified messages or individuals claiming to possess privileged information about the recruitment exercise, stressing that such channels could expose unsuspecting candidates to fraudulent activities.

The completion of the recruitment exercise marks a major step in the Customs Service’s efforts to expand and strengthen its human resource base, while ensuring that new personnel are selected through a structured, transparent and merit-based process.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Nigeria and Benin Republic have taken a major step towards harmonising cross-border trade procedures and removing bottlenecks along the strategic Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, with the two countries moving to establish a Joint Border Post at the Seme-Kraké frontier.

The initiative is designed to deepen regional economic integration, facilitate legitimate trade, improve border security and enable the seamless movement of goods and people between the two countries.

The development gathered momentum on Friday, September 11, 2026, when the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Benin Customs Administration conducted a joint assessment of the infrastructure and operational readiness of the proposed One-Stop Border Post at Seme-Kraké.

The exercise, tagged “Joint Nigeria-Benin Republic One-Stop Border Post Assessment at Seme-Kraké,” was themed “Leveraging the Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project to Advance Seamless Cross-Border Trade and Shared Prosperity.”

The assessment is part of a broader effort by the two Customs administrations to harmonise border procedures, reduce trade barriers, strengthen institutional coordination and improve the efficiency of legitimate commerce across the Nigeria-Benin border.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi, said the assessment was aimed at reviewing the operational readiness of the facility, examining existing border processes and infrastructure, and demonstrating the border-modernisation solution being deployed to support secure interoperability between the two Customs administrations.

Adeniyi stressed the strategic importance of the Seme-Kraké crossing, describing it as one of the busiest land borders in West Africa and a critical gateway along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor.

According to him, the corridor carries more than 70 per cent of the sub-region’s transit trade, making efficiency at the Seme-Kraké border critical to the economies of countries along the route.

He said the border operates around the clock throughout the year, warning that delays at the crossing have consequences far beyond the immediate border environment.

“Every hour lost at this gate is multiplied across thousands of consignments and tens of thousands of travellers, and is paid for in the price of goods in markets from Cotonou to Lagos.

“Conversely, an hour saved here is saved for the whole region. There are few places on this continent where the ratio between effort and effect is as favourable as it is at this crossing,” he said.

The Customs boss, however, noted that despite the two administrations operating within the same border environment, they were yet to achieve full digital interoperability.

He said there was still no seamless real-time exchange of declarations, manifests, transit information, risk profiles and enforcement alerts between the two countries.

Adeniyi disclosed that the NCS had therefore commenced work towards interconnecting the two administrations through a common data-exchange arrangement.

He explained that the system would enable declarations lodged on one side of the border to become visible to the other administration in real time, while transit consignments could be tracked from origin to destination.

He added that risk profiles and enforcement alerts generated by one Customs administration would also be transmitted to its counterpart while such information remained operationally useful.

The CGC further drew attention to the critical role of informal cross-border traders, particularly women, in the regional economy.

He said women account for more than 70 per cent of informal cross-border traders across Africa, adding that the pattern was particularly pronounced along the Nigeria-Benin corridor.

According to him, about 22 per cent of Benin’s informal exports are destined for Nigeria, while informal trade accounts for an estimated one-fifth of economic activity in Nigeria and a significantly higher proportion in Benin.

Adeniyi commended the Benin Customs Administration for the confidence it had placed in the Nigerian Customs Service and the leadership of both administrations to drive the One-Stop Border Post initiative.

On his part, the Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Raouf Malehossou, commended Nigeria for spearheading the initiative, describing the integration of border operations as critical to economic growth and regional trade.

Malehossou said the proposed Joint Border Post was fundamentally about strengthening risk management and prevention by enabling Customs administrations to anticipate potential threats and address them at the earliest possible stage.

He said the ability to identify risks early was critical to effective border management, trade facilitation and national security.

“These are the fundamental questions that a Joint Border Post operating under a One-Stop-Shop model must be able to answer,” he said.

The Benin Customs chief stressed that achieving the desired level of efficiency would require more than modern roads, scanners and physical infrastructure.

He said smooth and secure border operations depended on a comprehensive package of reforms encompassing close institutional coordination, genuine digital interoperability, clear lines of responsibility and sustained investment in Customs personnel.

He urged the technical teams from both countries to use the assessment to identify not only what currently exists but also what needs to be done to make the facility capable of meeting future demands.

Malehossou said the ultimate objective should be a border operating through genuine coordination, shared facilities, harmonised procedures and joint controls.

He described the initiative as a critical component of the future of African trade and regional integration within ECOWAS, particularly the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor.

“The bridge we see today provides a vital physical link between Abidjan and Lagos and beyond. Our historic responsibility now is to ensure that the movement of people and goods across this corridor is as efficient and seamless as the infrastructure allows,” he said.

He called on both administrations to move from assessment to implementation, declaring: “Let us therefore get to work.”