The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has embarked on a series of reforms aimed at strengthening trade facilitation, increasing revenue generation, and advancing digital modernisation.
The initiative underscores the command’s role as Nigeria’s busiest seaport and a critical hub in global commerce.
Comptroller Oluwadare Oshoba, who recently assumed leadership of the command, pledged to sustain its remarkable achievements while charting a new path guided by innovation, integrity, and technological advancement.
Under his leadership, the command is expected to consolidate past successes, drive efficiency, and further position itself as a critical driver of Nigeria’s trade and economic growth
Comptroller Oshoba vowed to sustain remarkable accomplishments the command had recorded.
He thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi for the confidence reposed in him to lead the command, while paying glowing tribute to his predecessor, ACG Babatunde Olomu, for what he described as “a solid foundation of remarkable achievements.”
“I live with a desire to improve any environment I find myself in. My work period here won’t be an exception, my tenure will be marked by progress and forward-thinking reforms,” Comptroller Oshoba stated.
He called on officers, industry stakeholders, and port operators to join hands with him, stressing that the collective strength of all actors is vital to consolidating the command’s success story.
Reeling out his vision for the command, Comptroller Oshoba, pledged to welcome ideas, expertise, and inclusiveness as his guiding principle, ensuring decisions reflect broad consultation and collaboration as well as passion from officers and stakeholders alike.
He disclosed that, “Technology will form the backbone of his administration from the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) to programs such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), Time Release Study (TRS), and Advanced Ruling (AR).”
Comptroller Oshoba also promised to deepen digital innovation to enhance trade facilitation.
“As Nigeria now chairs the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, the global customs community is watching us closely. We must uphold compliance and adherence to legal frameworks while ensuring seamless trade facilitation,” he reminded officers.
Comptroller Oshoba described himself not merely as a leader but as a partner, assuring stakeholders that integrity, inclusiveness, and innovation would remain the three pillars of his administration.
Reflecting on his tenure as the outgoing Comptroller of the Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Babatude Olomu, now promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General thanked officers, sister agencies, and stakeholders for their cooperation, which, he said was instrumental to the command’s record-breaking feats.
Olomu recalled with pride that Apapa Command generated an unprecedented ₦2.3 trillion in 2024, earned the award for Best Command in Revenue Generation and Trade Facilitation, and set a new milestone of ₦214 billion collected in a single month—August 2025.
He said that by the first eight months of 2025 alone, Apapa had already collected ₦1.834 trillion, representing more than 60 per cent of its ambitious ₦3 trillion annual target.
With high expectations from stakeholders and industry key players, it is evident that Comptroller Oshoba’s emergence as Apapa Area Command signals not only continuity but also a fresh wave of reforms that could redefine the port’s operations and strengthen Nigeria’s position in global trade.