Author: Muhammad Bashir.

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adeniyi, had on Tuesday, 16 April 2024, received in audience the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) delegation, led by Director General Hafsat Bakari, at the Service’s Headquarters in Abuja.

CGC Adeniyi’s meeting with DG Bakari centred around sealing a strong partnership that will enable the two agencies to take measures of enhancing border security through intensifying onslaught against smugglers and money launderers and other terrorism financing activities.

The CGC, while addressing the NFIU officials, congratulated DG Bakari for her appointment to head the organisation. He expressed Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to support NFIU by way of establishing a joint team that will be tasked to address some pressing issues.

“I want to wish you a successful tenure. I see, through your passion, your commitment to Project Nigeria, and I also see the collaborative spirit that you brought on board. These are all things that I share also because I believe that we can draw strength from each other, assist ourselves, and get things done.” the CGC said.

“We need to form an internal team that will be drawn up from our side to review those outstanding issues so that we begin to see, in a determined effort, what we can do,” he added.

Speaking earlier, the NFIU Director-General, Hafsat Bakari, applauded the NCS’s resilient commitment to safeguarding Nigerian borders, particularly in combating smuggling activities.

Emphasising the importance of information sharing, Mrs Bakari highlighted that her visit to the Headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service is to establish a cordial relationship with the service in intelligence sharing.

She said, “We recognise the vital role of the NCS in protecting Nigeria’s borders, preventing the smuggling of illicit goods, but also in ensuring that those who import goods into our country pay the appropriate fees and levies that are due to the federal government.”

According to her, the ultimate goal of the NFIU was to ensure the safety and prosperity of Nigeria, adding that “we want to make sure that we have efficient systems processes and technologies in place to identify the smuggling of currency and other high-value items.

…As CGC Adeniyi Commends Directing Staff, Instructors for Dedication to Service

Author: Muhammad Bashir.

The Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, marked a significant milestone on Friday, April 19, 2024, as it graduated 50 officers from Junior Course 18. The ceremony, held at the Ahmadu Makarfi Hall of the college, was attended by top officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, family members, and friends of the graduating officers.

Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi, represented by Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development Greg Itotoh, commended the directing staff and instructors for their exceptional input throughout the training session. He praised the graduating officers for their hard work and dedication, urging them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during their training to enhance the service’s operations.

DCG Itotoh emphasised the importance of capacity building in achieving the Nigeria Customs Service’s strategic goals, stating, “The Service is committed to building a strong and effective team, and this graduation is a testament to that commitment.” He encouraged the graduating officers to be innovative and proactive in their approach to customs operations, embracing technology to enhance effective service delivery.

Commandant of the College, ACG Kingsley Egwuh, also praised the directing staff for their dedication and hard work in shaping the officers’ minds. He congratulated the graduating students, urging them to embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead and make a positive impact in the Nigeria Customs Service.

The graduating officers, who have completed their training in various aspects of customs operations, leadership, and weapon handling, are expected to be deployed to various formations of the Service, where they will apply their knowledge and skills to enhance effective service delivery.

The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates and awards to deserving officers, recognising their outstanding performance during the training.

Earlier, the College had also held a regimental dinner for the graduating officers of Junior Course 18 on the 17th of April, 2027 – where Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi urged them to embrace professionalism and integrity in their service.

As the Special Guest of Honour at the Regimental Feast, CGC Adeniyi took to the podium to congratulate the graduating students after scaling through a series of rigorous training in the colleges, which, according to him, were meant to equip them to master the technical know-how of the Customs work.

Celebrating their academic achievements, CGC Adeniyi, however, enjoined them to be good ambassadors of the Service and give their careers purposeful meaning and uphold the motto of the Nigeria Customs Service—Justice and Honesty.

He added, “As you all return to your respective Commands, put everything you’ve learned to the test. That is the only gratitude you can show to those who have taken time to develop the curriculum which you were taught here.”

“You have been here for some time. You have developed yourselves. In a couple of years, the business of the Nigeria Customs Service will rest squarely on your shoulders”, he said.

The night concluded with a sense of accomplishment and pride, marking not only the end of academic pursuits but also the beginning of a journey for these graduates to carry forward the values of the Nigeria Customs Service with honour and dedication.

By Lucy Nyambi

The Nigeria Customs Service, Lagos Free Trade Zone Command, hits N25,094,030,014.00 in revenue from the Free Zone.

The Command also generated N29,671,886,266 from Lekki Port, making it a cumulative total revenue of N54,765,916,280 for quarter of 2024.

The outgoing Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, made this known in a ceremony on Wednesday, 17 April 2024, while handing over leadership to Comptroller Olanrewaju Olumoh.

Speaking about his experience at the Command in the last seven months since he assumed office, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) Babandede noted that the most important thing he is taking out of the command is the synergy between agencies and engagement with stakeholders.

He said, “When I came in September, the free zone was only able to generate revenue of about N2 to N3 billion, but to God be the glory, we can now generate N15 to N25 billion in a month”.

“We engaged a lot of stakeholders, and we worked with other government agencies because we can not do it alone, and we established a bond like a family,” Babandede stated.

He advised stakeholders to maintain a high level of integrity in their cargoes and urged the new Customs Area Controller to carry everyone along.

On his part, the new Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Olanrewaju Olumoh, appreciated his predecessor for his purpose-driven leadership, pledging to build on his very good foundation while also soliciting support from stakeholders and officers.

In his words, “I am happy that I am not meeting this Command at the scratch level. I have optimism to build on the very good foundation Comptroller Babandede is leaving behind. I thank you, Comptroller, for your purpose-driven leadership.”

“To our critical stakeholders, I acknowledge the wonderful support you have been giving the command over the years; I want to assure you that the over-riding goal will be how to make this Command more robust, more alive and more economically rewarding to the country. I promise to operate an open-door policy just like my predecessor. ” Olumoh added.

Stakeholders, as well as representatives of sister agencies, showered encomium on the outgoing CAC while also urging the new CAC to continue on the integrity and legacy already in existence at the Free Zone for the nation’s good.