By Godwin Oritse

The Zone ‘A’ Commands of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have come under close assessment by stakeholders in the nation’s maritime sector, as members of the business community evaluated the performance of the various Commands across key operational areas during the first quarter of 2026.

Customs Commands in Zone ‘A’ are those scattered across the six states of the South west geopolitical zone, at the land, airport and sea port borders. Some of the prominent Commands in Zone ‘A’ include the Apapa Premier Port Command, Tincan Island Port (TCIP) Command, Ports and Terminals Multi-Services Limited (PTML) Command, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command and the Western Marine Command. Others are the Ijora Export Terminal, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Murtala Mohammed Cargo Airport Command, Seme Border Command, Idiroko Border Command, Ogun State, the Oyo/Osun Command and Ondo Command.

Many stakeholders who volunteered comments on the scorecard of the NCS Commands in Zone ‘A’ within the first three months of the year, said although Customs officers needed to improve in their service delivery, they performed credibly within the period under review. The assessment focused mainly on resumption time, closing time, prompt attention to, and resolution of complaints from the business community, physical appearance, trade facilitation and revenue generation.

Many stakeholders scored the NCS in the Zone high on resumption time and closing time. According to them, in most of the Commands, resumption time and closing time, as well as prompt response to complaints and physical appearance of officers can be scored as high as 95 percent.

Speaking on the performance of Customs officers in Zone ‘A’, a freight forwarder, Uju Clifford, who operates between the Seme Border Command and Apapa Area 1 Command, said he sympathised with officers due to the long hours they put into their duties daily.

He recalled an incident when one of his containers was detained by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) over documentation-related issues.

According to him, when he visited the Command in the evening to resolve the matter, he observed that some officers were still on duty as late as 8 p.m.
Clifford noted that officers in most Commands often resume work as early as 7:45 a.m. and close late in the evening, describing the development as a reflection of commitment to duty.

He further stated that under the current leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, discipline and professionalism among officers have significantly improved.

According to him, “They look neat and decent. They speak to us politely, unlike in the past when officers shouted at agents. I commend the leadership of the current Comptroller-General.”

The Nigeria Customs Service has continued to demonstrate resilience and operational efficiency in the first and second quarters of 2026, with its performance scorecard reflecting notable achievements in revenue generation, enforcement, compliance, and strategic seizures across major Commands.

From the Apapa Area Command to Tin Can Island and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command, operations have remained seamless, with service delivery running smoothly and unhindered.

At Apapa Area Command, revenue collection surged beyond projections, with recoveries from under-declarations and infractions reinforcing the Service’s vigilance. In the same vein, the Tin Can Island Command recorded significant seizures of contraband, including restricted goods and counterfeit products, underscoring the Service’s commitment to safeguarding national security and economic interests.

Similarly, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command maintained its reputation for precision enforcement, intercepting illicit consignments while ensuring legitimate trade flows without disruption. The Idiroko Border Command led by Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, was scored high on enforcement drives, discipline, wellness activities and officers welfare.

Stakeholders across the maritime and aviation sectors also commended the Service’s performance. “The Customs Service has shown remarkable consistency in revenue generation and enforcement. Their efficiency in Q1 and Q2 has been a stabilizing factor for the economy,” said Mrs. Adeola Ogunleye, a maritime industry player.

Assessing the Service’s performance scorecard within the period under review, the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Emmanuel Onyeme, noted that men and officers of the NCS attended to their duties with passion and commitment. He also saluted the high-level professionalism displayed by personnel, while encouraging management and operatives within the zone to maintain the traction.

“The reality on the ground is that the Officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service in Zone ‘A’ have been very patriotic and professional in the discharge of their duties in recent months, particularly as regards to promptness to duty and attending to clearing agents with courtesy and professionalism. I commend the officers in the commands across the zone for discharging their duties so well. This shows that the high-level professionalism and patriotism of the Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi is running off down the ladder.

“I also want to commend all the Customs Area Controllers in the zone for being a very good example to their officers. The implication of this good development will be more revenue for the government and enhanced trade facilitation, and it will boost the cordial relationship existing between Customs and the stakeholders, especially Clearing Agents and Freight Forwarders”, Onyeme said.

Mr. Chinedu Okafor, a freight forwarder at Tin Can Island, also evaluating seevice delivery in the cargo clearance system said: “The seizures recorded this year are proof of Customs’ vigilance. Beyond that, clearance procedures have become faster, and revenue recoveries are impressive. Why we can speak of the need for improvement across board, we must commend the Customs for taking the lead and continue to incline to its appeal for other players like us to step up.”

Also speaking, Dr. Ibrahim Musa, an aviation logistics expert, emphasized the Service’s resilience: “At the airport command, operations have been seamless. Revenue targets are being met, enforcement remains strong, and compliance levels are high. The Service deserves commendation for balancing trade facilitation with security.”
The Nigeria Customs Service posted a strong performance in Q1 and Q2 2026, surpassing revenue targets, recording billions in recoveries, and executing major seizures across key commands. Stakeholders have lauded the Service’s efficiency, noting its resilience in revenue collection, enforcement, and compliance.

Revenue Performance:

While Q1 2026 export earnings hit $925.84 million, a 38.68% increase compared to Q1 2025, container throughput amounted to 19,014 for Q1 2026, up 95.58% from 9,722 in Q1 2025.

In the same vein, export surcharge collections grossed ₦199.36 million in Q1 2026, with an upswing of 21.81% year-on-year. This is even as the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) collections amounted to ₦6.03 billion for Q1 2026, amounting to a 20.15% increase, up from ₦5.01 billion collected in Q1 2025.

Instructively, there’s a projected ₦9 trillion revenue for 2026, based on ₦7.28 trillion collected in 2025; with a projected target increase of ₦697 billion

Enforcement & Seizures
With a total of 473 smuggling operations foiled in 8 weeks, the Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Lagos seizures included 8,794 bags of rice (15 trailer loads), 22 used vehicles, 1,863 refrigerator compressors, 328 bales of clothing, and 531 cartons of frozen poultry.

Drug Interceptions records indicate that while 3,340 parcels of cannabis (1,540kg), plus 6.4kg of cocaine and methamphetamine valued at ₦2.35 billion was made within the period under review, revenue recovery by the unit amounted to ₦5.5 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV) and ₦97.7 million recovered via Demand Notices.

Command Highlights:

While Apapa Area Command surpassed revenue projections, with strong recoveries from under-declarations, Tin Can Island the second largest command recorded significant seizures of contraband and counterfeit goods, reinforcing compliance. This is even as Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command maintained a seamless enforcement trajectory, intercepting illicit consignments, while facilitating legitimate trade.

With stakeholders affirming the Service’s credibility and efficiency, the Nigeria Customs Service continues to uphold its reputation as a cornerstone of trade facilitation and national revenue generation. Its Q1 and Q2 2026 scorecard reflects not only resilience but also a forward-looking commitment to excellence in service delivery.