Adeniyi: Driving a transparent and innovative Nigeria Customs Service

The Ag. Comptroller General (CG), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, since assumption of office on 19 June, 2023, has embarked on a digital creative drive towards enhancing customs’ efficiency, which has manifested in visible and verifiable results.

Through local and international collaborations, cutting-edge technologies such as robotic solutions, and, or Artificial Intelligence (AIs) devices have succeeded in creating innovative projects that are repositioning the fortunes of Customs personnel, officers and the overall economy at large. He has shown leadership and value creation, filled engagements and services that have shone like diamond in a dark night.
He has scored first on many fronts:

Bridging human resource gaps
Adeniyi has repositioned the NCS by institutionalizing credible leadership with synergies across all levels of operations of the service, bridging the human resource gaps within the ranks, which were hitherto prevalent as he took the leadership mantle.

He had explained: “in order to achieve our objectives, it is imperative that we bridge the current human resource gap within our ranks. We recognize the importance of capacity building and career advancement for our officers. The administration will work diligently to implement career advancement opportunities approved by the board, ensuring that competence remains.”

According to him, the sole criterion for assigning responsibilities and measuring effectiveness is by merit. Said he: “Our focus is on cultivating a highly skilled workforce that is equipped to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.”

This, he has accomplished, in part, through training and recent graduation of over 50 customs officers. The Ag. CG also inspected the proposed 100 hectares of land for the Federal Operations Unit A, Government Warehouse and Customs Training School, close to the Ogun Agro International Airport Project Site, on Monday, 7th August, 2023.

In asserting the relevance and authority of the Zonal Headquarter, Adewale Adeniyi said the office will be relocated and given a facelift – this is coming after 48 years.

Staff Interest & Stake Holder Partnership

“The NCS staff welfare,” he reassured, “is of paramount importance to us. We acknowledge the harsh and hostile environment in which our officers and men are compelled to function. Therefore, we commit ourselves to prioritize the welfare and well-being of our personnel. By providing better remunerations, improved accommodation, life insurance, and quality healthcare, we aim to create an environment that supports and motivates our workforce. We understand that a well-motivated team is instrumental in achieving our aims and objectives.”

Speaking on this development, he highlighted the need for collaboration and partnerships. “We value the relationships we have built with our Partner Government Agencies and the private sector. These collaborations have been vital to our adoption of technology as a tool to enhance revenue generation and streamline processes.”

The partnerships, he said, would be strengthened with more stakeholder engagement, through revitalized platforms. Adeniyi through his leadership ingenuity has proved the saying that “the single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.” -John Maxwell.

Officers’ Welfare
On 18 August 2023, under his watch, 50 Officers of Junior (Course 16) graduated from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja. The feat was in the commitment of the staff college’s dogged efforts to refine the work efficiency of the Officers and Men of the Nigeria Customs Service through training and re-training,

He further ensured insurance gaps were bridged and additional accommodation were also provided for officers. Similarly, the Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, following his tour to the Kaduna Area Command, paid a sightseeing visit to Customs Primary School, Barnawa, to assess the condition of the facility with the aim of renovating the school. This aligns with his efforts to promote education through Customs’ Social Program to the society.

Speaking to the School’s Assistant Headmaster, Adeshina Fatai, the CGC vowed to address both the short, medium and long-term needs of the school to create a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service, under his leadership, will view the problem at a superficial level and will do the best to raise the spirit of the school to educate the wards of the residents properly.

The Ag. CGC, on Monday, 14th August, extended a hand of fellowship to Dorian Home in Akure, Ondo State, an Orphanage home for Charity and Social Development.

According to him, the service has a responsibility to support and assist communities where they operate and carry out their mandates. Dorian Home has the structure, commitment and passion to drive its objectives.

He said the home has a capacity for almost a thousand kids, as there will be a need to feed, clothe and administer the proper medication to them. He assured of the assistance of the Service to the home.

The Customs CG also pledged his support to establish Customs primary and Secondary Schools Nationwide; he pledged after receiving the COWA delegation led by the National President and Wife of the CGC, Mrs. Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi.

Mending Walls, Consolidating Relationships
The Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has sustained efforts at mending service delivery gaps, such as the resolution of the long-standing feud within the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).

In addition to the above, on Tuesday, 11 July 2023, he paid a courtesy visit to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, at his Office in Abuja to seek Support on Border Security, to enhance national security and economic growth.

Birth of Customs laboratory
The Acting CG has engaged in strategic discussions with partners such as the WCO, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Japan Customs Administration. The discussions aim to garner support for establishing a customs laboratory, a significant milestone in enhancing customs operations and trade facilitation across Nigeria.

The NCS laboratory will provide comprehensive solutions to address challenges such as counterfeit goods, smuggling, and non-compliant imports, thereby bolstering revenue generation and ensuring the protection of public health and safety.

With its advanced analytical capabilities, the laboratory is expected to deliver precise identification, verification, and classification of goods, enabling efficient enforcement measures and informed decision-making while fostering an environment of trust and credibility within Nigeria’s trade ecosystem, marking a transformative step towards achieving seamless customs operations, trade competitiveness, and national economic growth in line with the vision of the President Tinubu-led Administration.

His engagements extended to fruitful discussions with relevant experts and donors, focusing on crucial areas such as conducting a Time Release Study (TRS), implementing the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program, leadership, and management development. These discussions underscore his commitment to comprehensive improvements and his inclination to adopt innovative solutions across various customs domains, ultimately enhancing operations.

Port decongestion
Reinvigorated by the collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Transport to decongest ports, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani, and her team paid a visit to the CGC at Customs Headquarters Abuja on 6 July 2023. At the meeting, The Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi stressed the need to implement policies that create sufficient space at the ports.

The Permanent Secretary also assured the CGC that the overtime cargo disposal committee is working assiduously to implement policies that will decongest the four major ports in the country. “We are working in different dimensions, but the result will be prodigious, after launching a sensitization exercise to stakeholders and members of the ports community about the process.” She said,

Border security/ Customs HQ, Kaduna
On Tuesday, 11 July 2023, the Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, paid a courtesy visit to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, at his Office in Abuja to seek support on border security.

On Thursday, 7th September 2023, the Ag. CGC, performed a groundbreaking ceremony for the massive construction of Customs Service Zone B Headquarters. The extraordinary edifice of 25 hectares of land situated in the Mando area of Kaduna State is part of the CGC’s unalloyed commitment to improve the welfare and efficiency of the Service.

Speaking at the ceremony, the CGC described the initiative as a magnificent project that will pave the way to establishing a solid and efficient infrastructure to drive the activities of the Service.

Sustaining Critical Bond
He, Adeniyi, has commenced a sustainable stakeholder’s parley with sister agencies. He has personally been to all the zones across the country leaving behind him, unbreakable bonds sealed with MoUs and partnership agreements.

Such bonds are visible with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Police Force, as well as leaders of neighboring countries that share land borders with Nigeria, amongst others.
Typical of his value filled strides, on Friday, 21st July 2023, during his official visit to Seme, Badagry and its environs, he urged local communities to support Law Enforcement Agencies in enhancing border security. His first port of call was the Palace of the Akran of Badagry Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, De Wheno Aholu, Menu-Toyi I.

Shortly after the decision by President Ahmed Tinubu to shut down the Nigerian/Niger borders, the Customs Boss visited the Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, to solicit cooperation of border communities. He emphasized that while implementing the closure of the Jibia border, the Service will also devote energy to sensitize members of the communities on the reason behind the decision.

As a leader, Adeniyi through his accomplishments, is instilling on officers of the NCS and Nigerians, hope for success and a belief in the system. And as a forward-looking leader he is pro-actively empowering the workforce and also inspiring them to effortlessly accomplish their assigned duties.

The CGC has pledged renewed collaboration with Yobe State to ensure the state continues to benefit from the Service. He has also strengthened Customs community relations in Oyo State. The NCS has further aligned with the Borno State government to re-establish Cross-border Trade in the Northeastern part of Nigeria.

Considering the fact that Lagos controls 70 to 75 percent of NCS’ total revenue collection, the Ag. CGC, has committed to steadily maintain a sound relationship with the state, where the bulk of its revenue comes from.

On Tuesday, 25th July 2023, during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he pledged partnership with the state government. His words: “I also need to inform you that there’s an approval for a Badagry port. The whole idea is to build strategic infrastructure for our citizens; Lekki is on the eastern part, Badagry is on the western part so that we can decongest Apapa and Tin-can that have stretched their capacity”, he noted.

Vehicle Database
One of the most productive collaborations towards enhancing national security and curbing revenue loss, the NGS CG, has ignited the commencement of intensive comprehensive vehicular database.

This, he achieved, through collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The collaboration was ratified during the official visit of the Acting Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Ali Biu, at the national headquarters of the Commission recently.
Speaking during the visit, the Acting-Comptroller General emphasized NCS’ renewed commitment towards working together with the Corps in the area of human resource development, information and communication technology, as well as sports

Cultivating Community Support
To enhance safety and community support for officers of the NCS, Adeniyi has heightened community relations initiatives of the NCS. Speaking on enhancing community relations, the CGC said, “Moving forward, we will need your support to engage with members of the border communities in Borno, especially as the insurgency has been degraded. We will build on the good relationship that we have and leverage on it to re-establish a good relationship with Cameroon and, of course, the Southern part of Chad.”

He has also expressed the readiness of his management team to collaborate with the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in the fight against the trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The Service had, in the second week of August 2023, intercepted over 1,000 live ammunitionsconcealed in 203 bags of foreign rice in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The Customs Boss, who appreciated the National Coordinator for leading his team to visit the Service’s Headquarters to knot ties with him, also emphasized the need to venture more into intelligence and data sharing.

Boosting Service Delivery via Strategic Appointments
The Ag Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, in a recent move to deepen value creation, made strategic appointments and announced significant redeployment within the Customs department. They included the appointments of Comptrollers Florence Nanu Ogar-Modey and Queen Ogbudu as Acting Assistant Comptroller Generals Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Zonal Coordinator Zone B, respectively.

Also, some of the Comptrollers redeployed to various Customs formations, including Compt. Jaiyeoba Jide from Oyo/Osun Area Command to Apapa Area Command, Compt; Dera Nnadifrom Seme to Tin-Can Island Port; Compt. Timi Bomodi from KLT to Seme; Compt. Ahmed Abe from PCA Zone ‘C’ to Kaduna Area Command; and Compt. Babandede Mohammad from Lilypond Export Command to Lagos Free Trade Zone Command.

In addition to the redeployment, Compt. Dauda Ibrahim Chana from Investigation Headquarters to Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Compt. Martina Tilleygyado from Non-Intrusive Inspection to KLT Area Command, Compt. Oloyode Adekunle from Tin-Can Island Port to Import &/Export Headquarters while Compt. Zanna Chiroma will be leaving Import & Export for PCA Zone ‘C, among many others.

The newly appointed and redeployed officers were charged to double their effort in achieving the service’s core mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation.

There is no doubt that with the height the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has attained under the watch of Ag, Comptroller, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the true mark of a leader is being able to take on tasks dispassionately and lead from the front. Indeed, industry watchers believe that the ongoing reforms in the service will fundamentally alter the performance of the NCS for Optimized positive results to the benefit of the country in the short, medium and long term.