The Customs Area Controller of the Seme Area Command, Comptroller Dr. Ben Oramalugo, on Wednesday, welcomed the Zonal Coordinator of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone A Lagos, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Charles Orbih, on a strategic working visit to the Command’s headquarters at the ECOWAS Joint Border Post in Seme-Krake.

The visit, aimed at assessing operational performance and aligning strategic goals across the zone, also provided an opportunity for engagement with officers and reinforcement of service-wide transformation objectives.

While receiving the Zonal Coordinator and his entourage, Comptroller Oramalugo described the visit as a morale booster, expressing gratitude for the ACG’s unwavering commitment to excellence and oversight. He noted that the Command continues to operate in line with the mandates of revenue generation, anti-smuggling, trade facilitation, and border security.

Between January and May 2025, the Command generated over ₦3.57 billion in revenue and facilitated export consignments totaling 220,300 metric tonnes, valued at ₦47 billion Free on Board (FOB). Anti-smuggling efforts also yielded seizures worth ₦889 million, including expired pharmaceuticals, cannabis, and mercury, which were duly handed over to relevant security agencies.

Comptroller Oramalugo highlighted key challenges hampering optimal operations, including a seven-year power outage, dilapidated road networks, non-functional scanning equipment, and porous borders. He stressed the need for infrastructure upgrades, modern surveillance tools, and strengthened collaboration with sister agencies and host communities.

In his response, ACG Charles Orbih commended the Seme Command’s leadership for its infrastructural improvement drive, including the renovation of the COWA building, upgrade of the sports complex, and commissioning of the officers’ mess. He noted that these initiatives reflect the Command’s alignment with the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, whose administration is anchored on consolidation, collaboration, and innovation.

Highlighting the performance of Zone A, ACG Orbih disclosed that the Zone accounted for 79.8% of the Service’s ₦1.3 trillion revenue collection in the first quarter of 2025. He reaffirmed NCS’s modernization efforts through key initiatives such as the Advance Ruling System, the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme, and the B’Odogwu platform – the indigenous Customs clearance solution.

The Zonal Coordinator also reiterated the Service’s seven strategic focus areas for 2025, which include trade modernization, improved risk management, operationalization of the NCS University, strengthened international partnerships under AfCFTA, a comprehensive CSR strategy, and promotion of transparency and stakeholder engagement.

Concluding the visit, ACG Orbih charged officers and men of the Command to uphold professionalism and innovation, stating that the performance benchmark for Zone A has been raised. “Our previous achievements, impressive as they are, should serve as stepping stones rather than resting points,” he said. “We must push beyond these accomplishments to meet the evolving demands of our nation’s economy and security landscape.”

He expressed optimism in the capacity of the Seme Command and other units under Zone A to sustain and surpass current milestones in service to the nation.