The performance of the Nigeria Customs Service across Zone ‘A’ Commands has come under intense review as stakeholders in the maritime, aviation and border trade sectors assessed the agency’s stewardship for the first and second quarters of 2026.
Findings across the South-west commands showed that operators in the industry largely rated the Service high in discipline, revenue generation, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations during the period under review.
Zone ‘A’ Commands of the Service cover strategic formations across the South-west geopolitical zone, including sea ports, land borders and airport commands that drive a substantial share of Nigeria’s import and export activities.
Major formations within the zone include the Apapa Area Command, Tin Can Island Port Command, PTML Command, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, Western Marine Command, Seme Border Command and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command.
Others are the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Idiroko Border Command, Oyo/Osun Command, Ondo Command and the Ijora Export Terminal.
Stakeholders who spoke on the Service’s scorecard said officers demonstrated improved professionalism, faster response to complaints and better engagement with freight forwarders and licensed agents.
Most respondents also commended officers for punctuality and commitment to duty, noting that several commands maintained early resumption and late closing hours despite increasing operational demands.
A freight forwarder operating between Seme Border and Apapa Command, Mr. Uju Clifford, disclosed that many officers resumed duty before 8am and remained at their posts till evening to resolve operational issues.
He recalled an incident involving cargo documentation at the Federal Operations Unit where officers stayed till about 8pm to attend to stakeholders seeking clarification on detained consignments.
According to him, the current leadership of the Service under the Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has strengthened discipline, civility and professionalism among personnel across commands.
Clifford noted that officers now relate more courteously with agents and freight forwarders, adding that the level of orderliness and appearance among operatives has significantly improved.
Industry players also applauded the Service for sustaining seamless cargo processing procedures despite heightened enforcement activities across the ports and border corridors.
At the Apapa Area Command, revenue generation reportedly exceeded projections, driven largely by tighter scrutiny of declarations and recoveries linked to infractions and underpayments.
The Tin Can Island Port Command also recorded notable enforcement breakthroughs with seizures of prohibited and counterfeit goods aimed at protecting national security and safeguarding the economy.
Similarly, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command maintained aggressive surveillance against illicit consignments while ensuring uninterrupted clearance of legitimate imports and exports.
Stakeholders further commended the Idiroko Border Command under Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni for maintaining discipline, welfare initiatives and operational efficiency within the command.
Speaking on the development, maritime operator Mrs. Adeola Ogunleye said the Customs Service had emerged as a stabilising institution for the economy through consistent revenue generation and effective enforcement.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeme, also praised officers and men of the Service for professionalism, patriotism and dedication to duty.
He stated that the improved relationship between Customs officers and clearing agents had enhanced trade facilitation and was expected to translate into higher revenue generation for government.
Freight forwarder Mr. Chinedu Okafor said the increasing seizures recorded across commands reflected the vigilance of operatives, while cargo clearance procedures had become noticeably faster and more efficient.
An aviation logistics expert, Dr. Ibrahim Musa, described operations at the airport command as seamless, stressing that the Service had successfully balanced enforcement responsibilities with trade facilitation objectives.
Performance indicators released for the review period showed that export earnings in Q1 2026 rose to $925.84 million, representing a 38.68 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
Container throughput also climbed sharply to 19,014 in Q1 2026 from 9,722 recorded in Q1 2025, indicating significant growth in trade activities across the commands.
Export surcharge collections stood at ₦199.36 million during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a 21.81 per cent increase year-on-year.
Collections under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme equally rose to ₦6.03 billion in Q1 2026 from ₦5.01 billion achieved within the same period in 2025.
The Service is also projecting revenue generation of about ₦9 trillion for 2026 following the ₦7.28 trillion realised in 2025 and an anticipated increase of ₦697 billion.
On enforcement, the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ recorded major breakthroughs after foiling 473 smuggling attempts within eight weeks.
Seizures by the unit included 8,794 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 22 used vehicles, 1,863 refrigerator compressors, 328 bales of used clothing and 531 cartons of frozen poultry products.
Drug interceptions within the period included 3,340 parcels of cannabis weighing about 1,540 kilogrammes as well as 6.4 kilogrammes of cocaine and methamphetamine valued at about ₦2.35 billion.
The unit also recovered about ₦5.5 billion in Duty Paid Value and generated an additional ₦97.7 million through Demand Notices issued for infractions.
Stakeholders maintained that the Nigeria Customs Service has continued to strengthen its reputation as a critical institution in revenue mobilisation, border security and trade facilitation.
They noted that the Q1 and Q2 2026 performance scorecard reflects a Service determined to sustain operational efficiency while deepening reforms aimed at improving service delivery nationwide.