The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been lauded for the remarkable progress made in trade facilitation and technological transformation, particularly at the Apapa Area Command, under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
This commendation came during a facility tour on Thursday, May 22, 2025, by a joint delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the National Trade Facilitation Committee to the Apapa Command headquarters in Lagos.
Addressing the delegation, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, said the visit was a recognition of the visible achievements recorded through the ongoing modernisation of customs operations.
“It only shows the very good job that has so far been done under the able leadership of the Comptroller-General, who has made it so easy, so possible, and so seamless for us to carry out our various responsibilities,” Olomu stated.
He emphasized the Command’s commitment to continuous improvement and expressed confidence in achieving even greater results in the months ahead. “We are not resting on our oars. We are hopeful that we’ll do much better than we did last year,” he added.
Speaking further, Comptroller Nafiu Isiyaku, who oversee the Trade Facilitation Unit at NCS Headquarters, described the modernisation initiative as a long-term project designed to span 20 years. He said the reforms are in their early stages, with more technological enhancements expected to streamline customs processes.
The ECOWAS delegation, led by Kolawole Sofola, commended the NCS for deploying the B’Odogwu system, which has boosted operational efficiency and facilitated trade.
“We’re very impressed with the modernisation. They’ve identified challenges in the previous system and are working on innovative solutions. The prospects are very good,” Sofola noted.
He also highlighted the increase in revenue generation, reduction in smuggling activities, and improved ease of doing business for traders through simplified processes and reduced transaction costs.
Also speaking, the National Secretary of the National Trade Facilitation Committee, Abdullahi Usman, hailed Nigeria’s progress in implementing the National Single Window system, which aims to unify trade processes across various agencies.
The ECOWAS tour was designed to assess Nigeria’s level of compliance with the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, to which all ECOWAS member states are signatories.
