The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), can rightly be described as a freshly reinvigorate organisation, set to deliver in its mandate, which includes collection of revenue (import/excise duties and other taxes), preventing smuggling, enforcing import/export regulations, generating statistical data, and facilitating trade.
This not just because the Service recorded the highest revenue ever, surpassing its 2024 target of N5.08 trillion by N1.03 trillion representing a 20.2 per cent increase above the target but because the man on the saddle as the Comptroller General by his appointment, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, changed the erroneous belief that the position is reserved for the north.
Also by his performance on the job, he has left no one in doubt that change has come to the NCS.
This is as the revenue record of the Service in 2024 indicated that its revenue increased by 90.4 per cent from the N3.21 trillion collected in 2023, which is a watershed in the history of the Service.
For the records, the appointment of Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi marks a major shift in the disfavor of the Southern Nigeria in appointment of CGCs of the Service since 1982. Over those past years, only two southerners have reached the position of CGC and the two lasted for just six months and eight months on the saddle respectively. One was on acting capacity, while the other acted for two months, and functioned as full-fledged Controller General for six months and retired.
The first was David Ogungbemile, who was appointed on acting capacity, following the retirement of Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha as Controller-General of Customs in December 31, 2003.
Sequel to that, the Federal Government set up a Reform Committee headed by then Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman. The Committee recommended a fundamental restructure of the Service to re-position it to meet increasing challenges. David Ogungbemile, a Deputy Controller-General acted as Controller- General during the period until Hamman Bello Ahmed, a serving Assistant Comptroller-General was appointed as the Comptroller-General.
Hamman Bello retired from Service on January 15, 2009, and Dr. Bernard-Shaw Nwadialo, a Deputy Comptroller-General was appointed first in acting capacity, and subsequently confirmed in March 2009.
He, in turn, disengaged from Service on August 15, 2009, paving the way for the emergence of an Assistant Comptroller-General, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, who was appointed to replace him.
Dikko’s second’s term was actually truncated by the change of government in the country in 2015. He served as the comptroller-general of Nigerian Customs Service from August 2009 to August 2015.
He was succeeded by Col Hameed Ali (rtd), who served for eight years (throughout the life of the Buhari administration).
Sunday Telegraph reports that the announcement of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who the confirmation of his appointment by President Tinubu took effect on October 19, 2023, was welcomed by industry players and stakeholders not just because he was a southerner, but also because he is the first officer from the Public Relations Department to reach that position and he has the privilege to having understudied four Comptroller Generals of Nigeria Customs Service.
They expressed the confidence in the capacity of CGC Adeniyi to reposition and refocus the already balkanised service for maximum productivity, especially now that the Federal Government is desperately and is particularly after revenue from the revenue generating agencies to fund the national budget.
According the National Public Relations Officer (NPRO) of NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, Adeniyi’s recent achievement in office is because he hit the ground running immediately he assumed office, bringing to bear his wealth of experience.
CGC Adeniyi’s efforts, according to Maiwada, has started to yield fruit in the area of revenue as recorded in 2024, anti-smuggling operation and upliftment of the moral of personnel.
Also, stakeholders have continued to praise President Tinubu for the appointment of CGC Adeniyi, saying the appointment to the highest office in the Nigeria Customs Service must respect the Federal Character as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
They further expressed optimism about the capacity of the Service under CGC Adeniyi to achieve more for the economy.
Sunday Telegraph notes that the Comptroller General has within a short period of time he is on the saddle, through the synergy, substantially cleared several of the illegal checkpoints on the Lagos-Abidjan trade corridor, which had before now, constituted a serious hindrance to the free flow of legitimate trade.
Meanwhile, the Customs management is currently optimising implementation of the Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project TMP, which is aimed at further promoting trade facilitation. It has also operationalised B’Odogwu, which he described as the core of Customs Modernisation Project.
When fully operational, the project would enhance a unified Customs management system, trade portal, and cargo release system. These come alongside other automation services such as big data and artificial intelligence AI, integration and document management system, as well as transition and handbook, which covers technology upgrades and enhanced capacity building. The project, which has received a major boost in the last eight months, has severally been identified as a milestone, as it highlights the significance of digitisation for transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of port operations.
In addition, Adeniyi has remained focused on safeguarding the nation’s borders against economic sabotage while boosting revenue and facilitating seamless trade relations between importers and exporters, ultimately fostering economic growth and stability for Nigeria. He has also utilised his exceptional acumen and strategic insight to elevate this crucial law enforcement agency.
In a resolute effort to protect Nigeria’s agricultural sector, stop the hemorrhaging of the economy caused by cross-border smuggling of Nigeria’s petroleum products, Adeniyi not only strategically appointed capable personnel to the man nation’s borders, he also set up a special taskforce tagged; ‘Operation Whirlwind,’ to run the smugglers out of their illegal business.
Also, his appointments to major and strategic commands has changed the narrative, which suggested that they were exclusively preserved for the north.
This has reflected in the work environment and motivation of personnel. Tin Can Command of the NCS under the leadership of its immediate past Customs Area Controller, Dera Nnadi (now Assistant Comptroller General of Customs), was recently remodeled; a development which also attracted Adeniyi’s applause.
Adeniyi stated that the magnitude of the remodeled complex exceeded expectations as he had thought the project would only be a few touches of repainting of the building.
“A well-maintained office complex ensures that we continue to provide exceptional service and achieve greater results in our core functions of revenue generation and trade facilitation. It is important to note that our work here at Tin Can Island Port goes beyond infrastructure; we are deeply committed to the economic growth of Nigeria,” he said.
