As part of efforts to enhance the efficiency of the nation’s premier seaport, Apapa port, the Federal House of Representatives has admonished port operators and users build synergies and collaboration.
The Chairman of the Representatives’ Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide, made this appeal when he led the committee members on an oversight visit to Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday.
The committee, comprising selected members out of 84 House of Representatives members, emphasized the need for synergy between the NCS, shipping lines, terminal operators, and other stakeholders to improve port operations and revenue generation.
Meanwhile, the legislators assured that the committee is committed to ensuring effective implementation of customs policies, and promoting revenue generation.
During the visit, the Area Controller of Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu disclosed that the Command generated N753.8billion revenue in the first quarter of 2025.
The legislators commended the Apapa Command for its N753.8 billion first quarter 2025 revenue feat which is N205 billion higher than the N489 billion collected at the same period of 2024.
Comptroller Olomu also revealed that the Command achieved a daily record-breaking revenue collection of N18.9b on Friday, March 14, 2025, which stands out as the highest in the 135-year history of the service.
According to him, the successes of compliance, revenue collection, and anti-smuggling are fallouts of collaborations where intelligence is gathered processed and deployed for national economic interest and security.
Olomu said the Command is playing a critical role in the NCS modernization agenda, especially on the implementation of the Unified Customs Management System (B’Odogwu).
He, however, stated that in 2025 the Command has recorded 9 seizures out of which five were unregistered pharmaceuticals smuggled into the country.
While urging the Committee to interface with other government stakeholders regulating terminal operators like Eko Support, ENL, and APM Terminals on the need to upgrade their working equipment in line with the concession agreements signed with the Federal Government, Olomu expressed optimism that the Apapa port could improve in trade facilitation.
