Mu’azu Assumes Duty as 33rd Apapa Customs Controller, Vows to Sustain Revenue Gains

Comptroller Murtala Mu’azu has assumed duty as the 33rd Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), pledging to consolidate the command’s gains in revenue collection, trade facilitation, enforcement and institutional discipline.

Mu’azu formally took over from Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba (rtd) during an assumption-of-office and farewell ceremony held on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at the Apapa Area Command auditorium in Lagos.

The ceremony brought together heads of security and regulatory agencies, government officials, terminal operators, shipping companies, customs brokers, business stakeholders and other partners of the command, who commended the outgoing controller and welcomed his successor.

In his inaugural address, Mu’azu described his appointment as “a great honour and privilege”, expressing appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for entrusting him with the leadership of one of the Service’s most important commands.

“I accept this responsibility with a deep sense of duty and a firm commitment to the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service and the economic interest of our dear nation,” he said.

The new controller said his administration would be anchored on the three strategic pillars of the Comptroller-General — consolidation, collaboration and innovation — with particular emphasis on revenue integrity, efficient trade facilitation, professionalism and stakeholder engagement.

On revenue generation, Mu’azu stressed the need for transparency and accountability, declaring that every revenue due to the government must be properly assessed and collected.

“Every revenue due to government must be properly assessed and collected, and every decision taken by our officers must be capable of standing the test of scrutiny over time,” he said.

He also promised to deepen collaboration with importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, shipping companies, terminal operators, port authorities and other government agencies to make Apapa Port more efficient and responsive to legitimate trade.

A major priority of his administration, Mu’azu said, would be the elimination of avoidable delays in cargo clearance, warning officers against creating unnecessary barriers to legitimate trade.

“Unnecessary human delays in cargo processing otherwise known as Non-Tariff Barriers shall not be tolerated henceforth,” he said.

According to him, cargo for which all statutory requirements have been fulfilled should be allowed to move without avoidable obstruction, while customs officers must demonstrate discipline, professionalism, courtesy and decorum in their dealings with members of the trading public.

Mu’azu acknowledged the significant performance recorded by his predecessor, particularly in revenue generation, noting that Oshoba’s tenure produced unprecedented collection figures for the command.

Under Oshoba, Apapa Customs recorded a historic monthly revenue collection of ₦323 billion in July 2026, while the command achieved a record single-day collection of ₦28.102 billion on 18 August 2026.

Mu’azu described the achievement as a major benchmark that would require considerable effort to sustain and surpass.

“This is indeed a record to reckon with and strive towards matching same. It is therefore a Herculean task upon myself and my team to match and surpass such a record,” he said.

The new controller also commended Oshoba for his contributions to enforcement, trade facilitation and the implementation of key NCS modernisation initiatives, including B’Odogwu, Advance Ruling, the Authorised Economic Operator Programme, the One-Stop Shop and Non-Intrusive Inspection technology.

The Advance Ruling programme, in particular, has been designed to give legitimate traders greater predictability over Customs treatment before importation, thereby reducing uncertainty and strengthening confidence in the trading environment.

In his farewell address, Oshoba thanked officers, men and stakeholders of the Apapa Area Command for their support during his tenure, stressing that the command’s achievements were the product of collective effort.

“The achievements recorded during my tenure do not belong to one individual. They belong to all of us,” he said.

He urged officers to preserve the standards established during his tenure, insisting that discipline and professionalism must remain central to the command’s operations.

“Discipline must remain our foundation, professionalism our standard and excellence our aspiration,” Oshoba said, while urging officers and stakeholders to extend the same support and cooperation to his successor.

Responding, Mu’azu called for collective responsibility among officers and stakeholders, stressing that the success of the Apapa Command could not be achieved by the CAC alone.

“The success we seek cannot be achieved by the CAC alone. It requires our collective efforts, operational integrity and willingness to uphold the standards of the Service,” he said.

He pledged to maintain an open and constructive relationship with stakeholders, founded on fairness, mutual respect and the national interest.

Mu’azu expressed confidence that, with the cooperation of officers and stakeholders, the Apapa Area Command would continue to serve as a model of efficient revenue administration, legitimate trade facilitation and professional conduct.