The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has recorded an unprecedented monthly revenue of ₦303 billion in October 2025, the highest ever generated by any customs command in the country’s history.
According to a press release signed by the superintendent of customs, Tunde Ayagbalo, the Public Relations Officer of the command, on November 3, 2025, the figure surpasses the previous record of ₦264 billion achieved by the Command in October 2024.
With this new benchmark, Apapa’s revenue haul for the first ten months of 2025 now stands at ₦2.4 trillion, already exceeding its total collection for the entire 2024 financial year, two months ahead of schedule.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, attributed the development to strengthened operational measures, enhanced compliance, and improved trade facilitation systems at the port. He described the new milestone as “the beginning of greater revenue exploits” under his leadership.
According to Oshoba, the Command is fully prepared for increasing trade volumes, particularly with the introduction of Drive-Through Scanning technology expected to process an average of 150 containers per hour from the quayside. He said the system would be a major advancement for port operations in West Africa.
He added that recently promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers have undergone in-house capacity-building sessions to align with the reform directives of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
“While we are deploying all trade facilitation tools as directed by the CGC — including the One-Stop-Shop that harmonises customs procedures — we are also maintaining a strict stance against revenue leakages,” Oshoba said.
He noted that issuing Demand Notices (DNs) where necessary remains uncompromised, while officers continue to scrutinise attempts to misapply the Harmonised System (HS) code for duty evasion.
The Comptroller disclosed that he has embarked on unscheduled visits to port access corridors to interface with truckers, freight forwarders, and licensed agents, urging them to support the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) by ensuring the swift evacuation of cleared consignments.
He stressed that delays in cargo exit slow down processing of new imports, thereby undermining trade facilitation and revenue generation targets.
“We need the support of all stakeholders to sustain and surpass these gains. This is not our final destination — we are ready to do better,” Oshoba said.
