The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has set a new national benchmark by generating an unprecedented N304 billion in October 2025—the highest monthly revenue ever recorded by any customs command in Nigeria’s history.
This achievement, confirmed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs Tunde Ayagbalo, and released on behalf of the Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, surpasses the N264 billion collected in October 2024.
The News Chronicle gathered that the command’s total revenue between January and October 2025 has now risen to N2.4 trillion, already exceeding the entire revenue collected in the whole of 2024. This development signals a strong performance by the Apapa Command amid the Federal Government’s ongoing push for enhanced non-oil revenue and trade facilitation.
Comptroller Oshoba noted that the Command’s operations are set to improve even further with the introduction of a Drive-Through Scanning system, capable of processing about 150 containers per hour. He described the innovation as a game-changer for cargo clearance and regional trade efficiency across West Africa.
He further explained that the Command has embarked on extensive officer training in line with the directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, to boost productivity and tighten controls against revenue leakages.
According to him, the Apapa Command is also implementing a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) system to streamline customs procedures, minimize delays, and enhance transparency—reflecting the NCS’s zero-tolerance policy on revenue loss.
The Nigeria Customs Service, under its ongoing digital transformation initiative, has also launched the OSS framework across key ports, including Apapa, Onne, and Tin Can, to reduce clearance time from 21 days to just 48 hours.
Through this system, all customs units handle flagged declarations collaboratively, cutting duplication and preventing unnecessary re-interceptions of cleared goods.
With the new digital overtime clearance system already operational, the Apapa Command appears well-positioned to sustain its revenue growth while improving efficiency, accountability, and trade competitiveness at Nigeria’s busiest port.
