Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a change of leadership at its flagship Apapa Area Command, as Comptroller Oluwadare Oshoba assumed duty on Monday as the new Customs Area Controller, succeeding Assistant Comptroller-General (Dr.) Babatunde Olomu fsi, who has been elevated to the rank of ACG.
In his maiden address, Comptroller Oshoba expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and the NCS management for entrusting him with the strategic responsibility of leading Nigeria’s busiest port command.
He paid glowing tribute to his predecessor, describing Olomu’s tenure as “historic” and pledging to consolidate on the foundation laid in revenue generation, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling.
“My leadership will be guided by three key pillars: improving revenue excellence, deepening enforcement and security, and enhancing stakeholder relations,” Oshoba declared.
According to him, revenue growth will be pursued through transparency, accountability, and efficiency, while intelligence-driven enforcement will remain at the core of the command’s operations to intercept prohibited goods and curb concealments. He also promised to strengthen trust with the port community, stressing that “trade facilitation and compliance are two sides of the same coin.”
Oshoba further assured stakeholders of his commitment to advancing the Service’s modernization drive through the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), known as B’Odogwu, and other flagship programmes such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), Time Release Study (TRS), and Advanced Ruling (AR).
“Together, we will build on the gains of B’Odogwu and cause our workplace to evolve into an ecosystem of rapid innovation and excellence,” he said, adding that the Apapa Command will also reflect Nigeria’s growing global stature as the country now chairs the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council.
In his valedictory speech, outgoing Area Controller, ACG Babatunde Olomu, highlighted his 15-month stewardship during which the command achieved unprecedented feats in revenue collection, enforcement, and trade facilitation.
He disclosed that under his watch, Apapa Command became the first in NCS history to hit the ₦2 trillion revenue mark and consistently set new single-day collection records, peaking at ₦18.9 billion on March 14, 2025.
For 2025 alone, the command has already raked in ₦1.83 trillion, representing 60% of its annual ₦3 trillion target, a performance Olomu attributed to teamwork and stakeholder cooperation.
On trade facilitation, he recalled Apapa’s role in Nigeria’s historic first shipment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in July 2024 and subsequent consignments, including one to Kenya in November 2024.
In the area of enforcement, the command recorded 75 major seizures of fake, expired, and controlled drugs, Indian hemp, used clothing, and other contraband goods within his tenure.
Olomu thanked officers, sister security agencies, and port stakeholders for their support, urging them to give even greater cooperation to his successor.
“As Oliver Twist who always asks for more, I am asking that you do more than that for my successor,” he appealed.