Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has reiterated the Nigeria Customs Service’s resolve to deepen trade facilitation while clamping down on cargo diversion, transit sabotage and other infractions undermining revenue and operational integrity across the country.
This position was conveyed in Kano during an official visit by the Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone ‘B’, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Nsikan Umoh, who represented the Comptroller General at a stakeholders’ engagement hosted by the Kano/Jigawa Area Command.
Addressing officers and stakeholders, ACG Umoh described the engagement as very strategic, noting that sustained collaboration between Customs and trade partners remains central to national economic development.
“This platform provides a critical opportunity for deepening collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and its stakeholders. Such a partnership is indispensable to the realisation of our mandate and the broader goals of nation-building,” ACG Umoh said.
She highlighted reforms introduced under the leadership of CGC Adeniyi, noting that the Service has, in the last two years, intensified modernization efforts aimed at simplifying clearance procedures, strengthening compliance, and improving predictability in Customs operations.
“Under the visionary leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Service has demonstrated unwavering commitment to facilitating legitimate trade through sustained modernisation, stakeholder engagement and capacity building,” she said.
ACG Umoh listed key trade facilitation tools already deployed by the Service, including the Authorised Economic Operator, AEO, programme, Advance Ruling, automation of overtime cargo clearance, the Customs Vehicle Verification System, one-stop-shop operations and the deployment of electronic tracking system for good in transit.
“These initiatives were introduced to address bottlenecks and inefficiencies across the clearance value chain, and they are designed to reward compliance,” she added.
She, however, expressed concern over rising Customs infractions along the Kano-Kaduna corridor, citing incidents of cargo diversion, sabotage of transit goods, fraud and collusion involving both officers and stakeholders.
“These practices undermine operational integrity, result in revenue loss and discourage compliance. I am therefore calling on all stakeholders to conduct their operations with the highest level of integrity, transparency and accountability,” ACG Umoh warned.
She stressed that the Comptroller General had directed the strict application of sanctions against any erring officer or stakeholder, noting that enforcement actions had already commenced in Kano since December 2025.
“Compliance saves time, reduces cost and enhances credibility. Non-compliance, on the other hand, leads to sanctions, disruptions and reputational damage,” she said.
Earlier, the Acting Customs Area Controller in charge of Kano Jigawa Area Command, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, said the Command recorded significant operational gains in 2025, including surpassing its revenue target.
“In 2025, the Command has exceeded its annual target with a positive variance of about 5.71 per cent,” DC Adamu disclosed.
He said the Command also recorded notable successes in its anti-smuggling operations, including seizures of hard drugs, illicit substances, and tramadol hydrochloride above approved import thresholds, as well as the interception of foreign currencies in violation of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
“We also recovered armoured cables meant for electricity supply to several local government areas at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, thereby protecting critical national assets,” he added.
DC Adamu acknowledged that despite sustained sensitization efforts, cases of currency interception continued to surface, including incidents recorded shortly after his assumption of office.
He assured stakeholders that the Command would sustain the strong foundation laid by his predecessor through “consolidation, collaboration and innovation,” in line with the policy direction of the Comptroller General.
The Acting Area Controller also said the Command intends to introduce real-time performance dashboards and explore collaboration with Bayero University, Kano, to translate sections of the Common External Tariff into Hausa language to promote inclusivity.
“This will also incorporate trade facilitation tools such as the AEO manual and advanced ruling framework. Unfortunately, no stakeholder in this zone has keyed into these initiatives yet, despite the level of compliance recorded here,” he noted.
Speaking on behalf of licensed agents, the Chairman of Licensed Customs Agents in Kano, Hafiz Ridwan, raised concerns about manual application processes and expressed optimism that ongoing administrative reforms would address the challenge.
“In the interim, the Command has adopted a simple but robust control system where all applications will originate strictly from Kano, with advanced copies transmitted via official service mail to the ports,” he explained.
He said approved containers would be tracked through the IM5 application. At the same time, daily approvals would be shared with the Command to “filter out non-compliant operators and focus on facilitating compliant stakeholders.”
The engagement also featured an oversight visit by the Zonal Coordinator to the Dala Inland Dry Port, ICNL, MH Gano Terminal and other strategic facilities within Kano.
