In a striking show of fiscal momentum, the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has generated N3.48 billion in revenue in less than one month, signalling a dramatic upswing in cross-border trade activities along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Wale Adenuga, disclosed that the Command realised N3,480,970,924.67 for February 2026, even as the month is yet to close, a performance that underscores renewed confidence in the Seme–Krake trade route.
The figure marks a sharp leap from the N743.69 million recorded in February 2025, reflecting what Adenuga described as the tangible gains of ongoing reforms in trade facilitation and border management.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, JT Ayagbalo, noted that the revenue surge was driven by enhanced operational efficiency and a more seamless cargo clearance process designed to encourage legitimate trade.
Adenuga made the disclosure in Badagry during a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme and GIZ International. The forum, themed “Empowering Cross-Border Traders through Trade Information Desk for Agricultural Traders,” brought together farmers, traders and regional partners.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Adenuga attributed the remarkable growth to improved trade processes and heightened stakeholder engagement, which he said had restored trust in the Seme–Krake corridor.
He further revealed that the significant reduction in checkpoints along the Seme–Gbaji axis followed sustained collaboration with sister security agencies. According to him, only Agbara and Gbaji remain officially sanctioned Customs checkpoints on the strategic Lagos-Abidjan highway.
The CAC noted that monthly joint border security meetings have deepened intelligence sharing and inter-agency coordination, contributing to a noticeable decline in criminal activities and creating a more secure trading environment.
Beyond revenue generation, the Command recorded major enforcement breakthroughs. Adenuga disclosed the interception of a Toyota Highlander conveying 22 packages of cocaine valued at over N1 billion, crediting the seizure to credible intelligence from the Customs headquarters.
In addition, operatives confiscated 1,000 bags of 50kg parboiled rice within February alone, reinforcing the Command’s resolve to curb smuggling while sustaining the surge in agro-exports and legitimate cross-border commerce.