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Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Customs and maritime sectors have underscored the importance of documenting institutional reforms and industry developments, describing it as essential for preserving national memory and guiding future policy decisions.
The consensus emerged at the launch of the book: “Customs Operational Revolution and the Development of the Maritime Industry Under President Tinubu” authored by Chief Timothy Okorocha and Mr. Francis Ugwoke, where industry leaders, regulators and maritime professionals reflected on the evolution of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the broader maritime sector.
Speaking on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller Chidi Nwokorie, Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, said proper documentation was critical to institutional growth and continuity.
“Documentation is critical to institutional growth. When reforms are properly documented, future generations can learn from them, policymakers can build upon them, and stakeholders can objectively assess their impact,” he said.
He noted that the remarkable revenue growth and anti-smuggling successes recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service under Adeniyi’s leadership were anchored on six pillars: technology and automation, intelligence-led operations, stakeholder engagement, leadership and accountability, inter-agency collaboration and trade facilitation reforms.
“The remarkable revenue growth and anti-smuggling successes recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service under CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi can largely be attributed to visionary leadership, technology-driven reforms, intelligence-led enforcement, stakeholder engagement and stronger inter-agency collaboration. Nothing gives energy to strategy like synergy,” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, commended the authors for providing a rich documentation of the maritime industry’s recent history.
Represented by the NPA Port Manager, Tin Can Island Port, Alhaji Isa Sanni, Dantsoho assured that the book would be treasured by the Authority as an important reference material for the maritime industry.
The book reviewer and retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Dera Nnadi, mni, described the publication as a timely and consequential work that chronicles the transformation of the Nigeria Customs Service and evaluates the Service performance within President Bola Tinubu’s reform era.
He warned that institutions that fail to preserve their histories risk losing valuable lessons.
“Institutions that fail to document their evolution risk historical anniliation. They risk forgetting the reforms, sacrifices, leadership decisions and operational experiences that shaped their journey. This book attempts to preserve that memory,” Nnadi said.
According to him, what distinguishes the book is its broad scope and intellectual depth.
“It is not merely a historical account of Customs operations. Rather, it is a carefully layered examination of how the Nigeria Customs Service evolved from a colonial revenue institution into a modern agency central to revenue mobilisation, border security, trade facilitation and economic regulation,” he stated.
Nnadi also observed that the book highlights the transformative leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs in areas such as meritocracy, human capital development, staff welfare, digital transformation and stakeholder engagement, while also acknowledging challenges including port congestion, logistics inefficiencies and infrastructure deficits.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and CEO, Maritime Media Limited, Elder Asu Beks praised the book authors for channeling their decades of journalistic industry experience in a beautiful book.
The veteran maritime journalist encouraged the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and her agencies to support the book authors via sponsorship and wide circulation of the publication.
In his welcome address, co-author Chief Timothy Okorocha said the publication was inspired by the need to preserve significant developments within Customs and the maritime industry beyond daily news cycles.
“Today is not merely about launching a book. It is also about reflection, documentation and thoughtful engagement with a sector that remains central to Nigeria’s economic aspirations,” he said.
Okorocha added that the book situates Customs reforms within the broader maritime ecosystem, examining the contributions of agencies such as NIMASA, NPA, NSC, CRFFN, NIWA and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria.
“We observed many important developments that deserved to be preserved beyond newspaper headlines and daily reportage. We felt strongly that there was a compelling need to document these institutional journeys — not merely as events of the moment, but as part of the enduring historical and intellectual record of our nation,” he said.
Goodwill messages from industry leaders, including; President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emenike Nwokeoji, represented by Alhaji Sulaimon Ayokunle; Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, represented by Chief Uche Increase; Secretary of the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), Fwdr. Eugene Nweke; and Acting President of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (AREFFN), Chief Frank Obiekeze, commended the authors for preserving the history of reforms that have reshaped Nigeria’s Customs and maritime sectors in recent years.
The Lagos gathering was widely regarded as both a literary milestone and a call for sustained documentation, dialogue and collaboration among institutions driving Nigeria’s maritime and economic development.
