Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has shattered all previous records, raking in a staggering ₦304 billion in October 2025. The highest monthly revenue ever recorded by any Customs Command in the history of the Service.
The feat surpasses the ₦264 billion collected in October 2024, pushing the Command’s total revenue for the first ten months of 2025 to an impressive ₦2.4 trillion. This means the Command has already exceeded its entire 2024 revenue performance, with two months still left in the year.
Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the achievement as “the beginning of greater revenue exploits” under his leadership, commending officers and stakeholders for their dedication and professionalism.
“This milestone proves our readiness to process higher trade volumes that will translate to even greater collections for government,” Oshoba said.
According to him, the Command is preparing for a new era of Drive-Through Scanning technology, capable of processing about 150 containers per hour, a development he described as “revolutionary in the annals of trade facilitation in West Africa.”
Oshoba also revealed that newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers had undergone in-house training to enhance operational efficiency, in line with the directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
He emphasized that the Command is combining efficiency with integrity, tightening its zero-compromise stance against revenue leakages and enforcing demand notices (DNs) wherever shortfalls are discovered.
“We are fully deploying all trade facilitation tools, including the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) platform that harmonizes Customs procedures to save time and promote efficiency,
“Our officers are also vigilant against any attempt to misapply the Harmonised System (HS) Code to evade duty payments,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to smooth port operations, Oshoba disclosed that he had paid unannounced visits to port access roads to engage truckers, freight forwarders, and Customs agents, urging them to cooperate with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in ensuring free movement of cleared cargo.
“If cleared consignments fail to exit the port, it delays new imports coming in for scanning or examination, which directly impacts both trade facilitation and revenue generation,” he explained.
The CAC further noted that collaboration with the Port Manager has been strengthened to make Apapa Port more efficient and globally competitive.
“We’ve achieved a lot, but we’re not done. With the continued support of all stakeholders, Apapa Command will surpass every target before year-end,” Oshoba affirmed.