The Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has announced a revenue haul of N13.7 billion between January and October 2025, marking a 47 per cent rise from the N9.4 billion generated during the same period in 2024.

The outgoing Controller of the Command, now promoted to Assistant Comptroller General (ACG), Eghosa Edelduok, disclosed the figures on Monday during a send-off ceremony held in her honour in Lagos.

Edelduok described the revenue growth as the outcome of targeted reforms and strengthened operational efficiency across the command.

“This growth did not happen by chance,” she said. “It is the result of deliberate reforms, increased stakeholder engagement, and improved trade facilitation within the terminal.”

Reflecting on her tenure, ACG Edelduok said the Command faced serious operational challenges when she assumed office.

“Several terminals under KLT were moribund when I took over,” she noted.

Through continuous dialogue with terminal operators, port users and Customs personnel, the Command successfully revived key facilities. She noted that the ESS Libra Terminal now handles 50 to 60 containers monthly, while other terminals recorded similar improvements driven by better access routes, reduced delays and streamlined procedures.

Edelduok highlighted significant improvements in cargo processing timelines, stating that compliant consignments were now cleared within 48 hours.

She added that rising compliance among traders and clearing agents had become “the backbone of the revenue leap,” with more stakeholders choosing KLT due to its enhanced efficiency and friendlier operational atmosphere.

“Stakeholder cooperation helped us change perceptions, attracting more importers who previously avoided the terminal due to fears of delays and bottlenecks,” she said.

The outgoing Controller commended officers of the Command, sister agencies and terminal operators for the teamwork that defined her 18-month stewardship. She also thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for providing institutional support that helped strengthen operations at KLT.

Edelduok described as “a defining legacy” her successful delivery of a major Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project — a newly constructed block of classrooms and a fully equipped library for inmates of the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.

Looking ahead, the newly appointed ACG assured stakeholders that KLT would remain committed to facilitating legitimate trade while intensifying efforts to combat illicit activities.

She emphasised that the Command would not tolerate the movement of contraband goods, including fake pharmaceuticals and cannabis.

“My new office comes with greater responsibility, but I leave KLT prepared, fulfilled, and hopeful for even greater growth at the Command,” she added.

Several stakeholders at the ceremony paid glowing tributes to Edelduok’s leadership. Deputy Comptroller Funmilayo Adedokun, who heads the Vehicle Seat Unit, described her as a “transformational leader”.

The KLT revenue performance aligns with a wider upward trend in Customs collections across Nigeria’s ports. In October 2025, the Apapa Area Command recorded N304 billion — the highest monthly revenue ever generated by any Customs command in the country.

According to the Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, the October figure surpassed the N264 billion collected in October 2024. He also disclosed that Apapa Command generated N2.4 trillion between January and October 2025, exceeding its total revenue for the whole of the previous year.