The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has achieved a historic milestone by generating a record N304bn in revenue for October 2025 — the highest monthly collection by any customs command in the history of the Service.
The figure, announced in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Tunde Ayagbalo, represents a remarkable leap from the N264bn collected in October 2024. With this new record, Apapa Command has now brought its total revenue for the first 10 months of 2025 to N2.4tn — surpassing its entire 2024 collection two months before the year ends.
According to the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, the achievement reflects the command’s growing efficiency, dedication of officers, and commitment to the Nigeria Customs Service’s revenue generation and trade facilitation mandate.
“This latest revenue feat is only the beginning of more exploits under my watch,” Oshoba said. “It’s an initial proof of our readiness to process a higher volume of trade, translating to greater returns for the Federal Government.”
Oshoba credited the command’s performance to reforms in trade facilitation, improved compliance among port users, and the ongoing deployment of technology-driven customs operations.
The Area Controller revealed that the command is preparing for a new “drive-through scanning” regime that will process an average of 150 containers per hour directly from the quayside — a development he described as “revolutionary in the annals of West African port operations.”
He explained that the system would drastically reduce clearance time, decongest the port, and enhance transparency in cargo handling, thereby attracting greater investor confidence in Nigeria’s maritime trade environment.
The controller also noted that newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers of Customs had undergone in-house training sessions aimed at enhancing their technical capacity and leadership skills, in line with the directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
“I commend my officers and our compliant stakeholders for this milestone, but it’s not our final destination,” Oshoba stated. “We are deploying all tools of trade facilitation, including the One-Stop-Shop system that harmonises procedures to save time and boost efficiency. We are also preventing leakages by applying demand notices to recover shortfalls and by maintaining a zero-compromise stance against duty evasion.”
He added that officers have been placed on high alert to detect and address attempts by importers to misapply the Harmonised System Codes to evade import duties.
In a bid to enhance port efficiency, Oshoba disclosed that he has embarked on unannounced visits to port access roads to engage directly with stakeholders, including truckers, freight forwarders, and licensed customs agents.
“To show how seriously we take trade facilitation, I’ve personally visited parts of the port access roads,” he said. “I urged operators to cooperate with the Nigerian Ports Authority to ensure the quick evacuation of cleared consignments. When cargoes linger at the ports, new ones coming for examination or scanning get delayed — this slows trade and affects our revenue performance.”
He also met with the Port Manager to strengthen collaboration between Customs and the NPA in making Apapa Port more efficient and business-friendly.
“We need the cooperation of all stakeholders to consolidate the gains we’ve made. If cleared consignments are delayed in exiting, it affects trade directly and hinders our revenue and facilitation mandates. Together, we can do better,” Oshoba affirmed.
The Apapa Area Command remains one of the most strategic operational units of the Nigeria Customs Service. Located at the Apapa Port — the country’s busiest seaport and commercial gateway — the command manages a significant portion of Nigeria’s import and export trade.
Its mandate covers revenue collection, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling enforcement, all of which are vital to sustaining Nigeria’s economic lifeline through maritime commerce.
Over the years, Apapa Command has consistently posted record-breaking revenue figures while maintaining strong compliance enforcement. It has also spearheaded customs automation initiatives, which have boosted transparency and accountability in cargo handling and clearance.
In September 2025, The PUNCH reported that the command intercepted 75 contraband items within 15 months and generated N3.7tn in revenue during that period, reflecting its dual commitment to national security and fiscal responsibility.
Under Comptroller Oshoba’s leadership, the Apapa Command appears set to sustain its upward trajectory by embracing innovation, collaboration, and professionalism.
The command’s success aligns with the broader agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who has prioritised automation, stakeholder engagement, and zero tolerance for revenue leakages as core strategies for modernising the service.
As Apapa Command consolidates its position as Nigeria’s top-performing customs formation, its latest N304bn record serves as both a benchmark and a signal — that with the right leadership, technology, and cooperation, Nigeria’s maritime sector can become one of the most efficient and profitable in Africa.
“Our story at Apapa is one of transformation,” Oshoba concluded. “We are proving that Customs can be a model of efficiency, accountability, and partnership. This N304bn record is not just a number — it’s a promise of better things to come.”
