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The newly appointed Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has assumed duty with a firm pledge to sustain the Command’s excellent performance and break new grounds in trade facilitation, transparency, and modernization of customs operations.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony on Monday, Comptroller Oshoba expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for entrusting him with the leadership of the Service’s flagship command while he commended his predecessor, ACG Babatunde Olomu for the remarkable achievements recorded under his watch.
“I live with a desire to improve on any environment I find myself. My work period here won’t be an exception,” Oshoba declared, calling for maximum support from officers, stakeholders, and industry players to consolidate the command’s gains.
He emphasized his commitment to inclusiveness, noting that “ideas, passion and expertise from officers and stakeholders will form the foundation on which my service here shall be built.”
On modernization, Comptroller Oshoba assured that the command would continue to leverage the Unified Customs Management System and other digital innovations to enhance efficiency. He highlighted the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), Time Release Study (TRS), and Advanced Ruling (AR) programs as central to his administration’s trade facilitation agenda.
“As Nigeria now chairs the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council, the global customs community is watching us closely. We must uphold compliance and adherence to legal frameworks while ensuring seamless trade facilitation,” he stated.
The new CAC pledged to uphold transparency, integrity, and innovation, promising to lead as “a partner, not just a leader,” in line with the reformist vision of the Comptroller-General.
“We will face challenges, but we will tackle them together with resilience and determination. By God’s grace, we shall jointly break new grounds to do greater things for Nigeria through Apapa Port,” he assured.
On his part, the outgoing Comptroller and newly decorated Assistant Comptroller-General, ACG Babatunde Olomu fsi, thanked the Apapa Customs officers, sister agencies and port stakeholders for supporting his tenure as Apapa Customs boss.
“Together, as a team with stakeholders and officers, we laid a solid foundation for solidation and made remarkable strides in revenue generation, anti-smuggling, stakeholder engagement, among others.
“We were able to achieve N2.3 trillion in 2024 and got the award of best Command in revenue generation, trade facilitation and overall best Controller during the CGC End-of-the-Year Awards. In August 2025, the Command collected N214billion revenue under the B’Odogwu platform despite the teething challenges,” Olomusl said.
He also revealed that the Command has collected N1.834trillion in 2025, representing over 60 percent of the N3trillion revenue target for the year.
The ceremony was attended by senior officers, terminal operators, unit heads, port industry stakeholders including the Managing Director of APM Terminals Apapa, Steen Knudsen; Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam; Managing Director, Muna Sylver Nigeria Limited, Princess Chi Ezeh; among others.
