By Innocent Orok
After fifteen months of impressive records of service delivery, Assistant Comptroller General ( ACG) Babatunde Olomu PhD, fsi on Monday hands over the mantle of leadership at the Apapa premier port Customs Command to Comptroller EOA Oshoba.
In his farewell address to officers and stakeholders, ACG Olomu thank them for their supports and commitment that led the command to attain the huge successes recoded under his watch.
“Today I address you with mixed feelings reminiscing on the beautiful moments we shared together during my time here as Area Controller of Apapa Port, but I am constantly reminded that the service period was meant to bring challenges, proffer solutions to keep Nigeria better and at some point, come to an end. I am glad to inform you that l am now elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, ACG and my tenure as the CAC has come to an end.
“Sincerely, I thank the CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR dsm psc (+) for trusting me with the task of piloting customs affairs in our flagship command and I want to gladly inform you all that this phase of service for me as CAC Apapa has ended. Providence requests that I move further to serve elsewhere.
“When I assumed duty on 6 May 2024, it was with sleeves rolled up, two a hands on deck, enjoying the maximum support of my Officers and Men in addition to full cooperation of our esteemed stakeholders comprising of government agencies and private sector operators including the media”, Olomu recounted.
Giving summary of his stewardship for the period, he said “While this speech and time would not permit me to reel out every of our achievement, I am going to summarize them. Together as a team, we all confronted odds to excel and we accomplished in the areas of revenue collection, anti-smuggling, trade facilitation and robust stakeholders’ engagement.
“This team spirit was imbibed in taking a cue from the CGC’s policy direction of working closely with all our stakeholders at various levels. We have laid a solid structure for consolidation. Under the guidance of the CGC, I ensured this command can operate optimally on an autopilot mode in revenue and anti-smuggling, stakeholders’ engagement, ICT deployment and all other indices for measurement of Customs efficiency.”
On revenue collection ACG Olomu said “It was on my watch that this command achieved its first ₦2 trillion revenue collection which is an unprecedented feat by the command in the history of the Service. In recognition of this, the Command and my humble self-earned numerous awards including the CGC Special Award for Excellence in Revenue Collection, Trade Facilitation, and Overall Best Area Controller.
“It is noteworthy to state that we didn’t just arrive there. We stayed focused laying the bricks for improvement in our collection hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly to arrive at the outstanding accomplishments. We achieved a record-breaking single-day revenue collection of over ₦17.9 billion on June 19, 2024. Again, the Command set another benchmark with N18.2 billion in daily revenue in October 2024.
“Furthermore, another daily revenue collection record of ₦18.9 billion was made on March 14 2025.
Consequently, for the month of August, 2025, the Command collected N214.9 billion using the newly introduced B’Odogwu, the Unified Customs Management System, despite initial technical challenges.
“As at today, we have collected a total of One trillion, eight hundred and thirty-four billion, seven hundred and eighty-nine million, four hundred and ninety-nine thousand, eight hundred and fifty naira, forty kobo (N1,834,789,499,850.40) for the year 2025. I am optimistic that my successor will build on these achievements to surpass our 2025 revenue target of N3 trillion since we have attained 60% of our annual collection”.
On trade facilitation and modernisation, Olomu said under his watch command has been effectively positioned as a central hub for implementing trade facilitation reforms championed by the Comptroller-General of Customs. “These reforms which aim to modernize the Nigeria Customs Service and enhance Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) recorded remarkable milestones.
While I was here as CAC, Nigeria made its historic first African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) shipment from Apapa Port in July 2024, launching our country’s participation in the scheme’s Guided Trade Initiative (GTI).
“Nigerian manufactured goods were sent to five other African countries. Another milestone shipment under AfCFTA from Nigeria which we facilitated was sent to Kenya in November 2024, showcasing our country’s active role and commitment to boosting intra-African trade through the agreement.
“Furthermore, while here, together we entrenched a tradition of faster cargo clearance, seamless trade dispute resolution and promotion of compliance for all importers, exporters, freight forwarders, licensed customs agents, terminal operators, bonded terminal owners and everyone interfacing with the NCS through this command”.
Recounting his feats on anti-smuggling activities he has this to say “Despite ensuring maximum collection of all revenue due to the federal government from customs duties, we never slept on our anti-smuggling responsibility. Our fight against smuggling was never a rhetoric. We proved to the smugglers and their collaborators that Apapa Port is a no-go area for illegalities.
“Therefore, the command is poised to always deal with the activities of unscrupulous elements that may want to test our resolve to address the menace of bringing in unregistered and controlled medicaments.
“In the 15 months I served here, we made 75 seizures of various items broken down to 62 Units of 40ft containers and 13 Units of 20ft containers. The seizures comprise of fake, expired and substandard medicaments, controlled drugs as codeine syrup, tramadol, Indian hemp, and other items like used clothing, wood etc.” he said.
In his taken over address, Comptroller Oshoba, while thanking CGC Wale Adeniyi for deploying him to lead the Apapa Customs Command
“which is at the center of customs operations and reforms in our great country,” promised to improve on the records set by ACG Olomu.
“First, let me say thank you to the CGC and NCS Management team, thank you to my predecessor and every one of you for welcoming me into this vibrant community.
“The NCS plays a critical and strategic role in trade facilitation. The Service has a legacy built on national security, requiring honesty and service to sustain economic stability. I am aware that this command is performing excellently in all of these. Kudos to Assistant Comptroller-General (Dr) Babatunde Olomu fsi for this.
“As a person, I live with a desire to improve on any environment I find myself. My work period here won’t be an exception.
“Please indulge me today. I have demands to make from everyone in this room and all stakeholders who couldn’t make it here physically due to exigencies of our work and space constraints. I want to request that we renew our dedication and our shared vision for excellence. I solicit for maximum support from every one of you.
“As I step into this role, my first priority is to apply the three Ls- Look, Listen and Learn, I want to understand the heartbeat of this command. know the challenges and work together with everyone to surmount them. Please join me in this journey. As you did with my predecessor. do with me.
“Gentlemen, Officers and stakeholders, your ideas, your passion, and your expertise are the foundation on which my service here shall be built. I am committed to fostering an environment where every voice is heard and valued.
“As you are all aware, we are currently positioned at a critical juncture in the ongoing ICT and modernization efforts within the Service. The world is changing rapidly, and with change comes opportunities. Together, we will build on the gains of B’Odogwu and cause our workplace to evolve into an ecosystem of rapid innovation and excellence. I ask for your continued support to push the Unified Customs Management System to greater heights.
“The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), Time Release Study (TRS), Advanced Ruling (AR) and other trade facilitation programs which puts NCS ahead of its peer’s customs administration in Africa shall be the thrust of my leadership here.
“As Nigeria has produced the Chairperson of World Customs Organization (WCO) Council, we are a country of interest in the global customs community. Let us uphold the principles of compliance, and ensure unwavering adherence to all legal frameworks governing import, export and excise operations.
“I believe in the power of collaboration. No one succeeds alone, and I am here to work alongside you-not just as a leader, but as a partner in our shared mission. We will face challenges, but we will tackle them together, with resilience and determination, We will also celebrate our successes together, because every milestone we achieve will be a testament to our collective hard work and commitment.
“I promise to lead with transparency, integrity, and an unwavering to me focus as imbibed from our CGC who is a role model and an inspiration.
“I am here on a mission to sustain the excellent records achieved before my arrival and by the grace of God, we shall jointly break new grounds to do greater things for Nigeria through Apapa Port”, Compt. Oshoba promised.
