. Consolidates on Predecessor’s Structure
.Sets Pace High as Command Test-Run New Scanners
.Calls for Industrial Harmony within Port Environment
ZAINB JUNAID
The Customs Area Controller of the Nigeria’s busiest premiere Port, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oluwadamilare Oshoba has attributed landmark achievements recorded recently in the Command to the economic and fiscal policies introduced by the Federal Government, and the reforms of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD.
Comptroller Oshoba, who has continued to build on his predecessor’s structure, setting a high standard, since he took over helms of leadership at the Command, is really taking charge, making waves.
From introduction of Electronic Cargo Tracking System(ECTS) which enables real time monitoring of cargo movement from the point of departure to its final destination; to test running of high-tech scanners, aimed at carrying out non-intrusive inspections of containers and trucks to detect contraband, illegal arms, unregistered pharmaceuticals, and other dangerous or prohibited materials; and historical revenue milestone record of over three hundred billion naira only in just one month; the Apapa Area Command has continued to witness significant achievements under the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba.
While fielding questions from selected journalists in his Office on Thursday, 7 November 2025, on likely factors that can be attributed to the Command’s historical milestones, Comptroller Oshoba retorted, crediting the impact of government policies on economic stability and trade growth. He also hailed the leadership style of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD, describing them as role models to emulate.
The Area Controller cited the economic and fiscal policies of the Federal Government which has impacted the macroeconomic performance of the country and also attributed the landmark achievements of the Command to the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD, including: consolidation collaboration and innovation.
Comptroller Oshoba explained that the innovative approach to Customs operations has paid off.
His words, “It started with our president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. You see, his economic and fiscal policies have impacted the macroeconomic performance of the country. Yes! we have stability now. The foreign exchange is stable, if you are following the trend, unlike before, where we have multiple players as source, we have only one source now. Making it easier for traders to access and operate smoothly. This has helped businesses. It has helped importers bring in more goods into the country. It has helped those who are establishing industries and factories to bring in more raw materials into the country. That has increased volume of trade.
“Secondly, our CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD– His policy of Consolidation – Consolidating on past gains. I’m sitting on this seat today, and now; I have somebody who has been here before me, who has done very well in terms of revenue and enforcement activities. So all I need to do is just to find one or two things and leverage on existing structures”.
While dissecting key initiatives introduced to enhance trade facilitation and efficiency within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Oshoba explained that: Advanced Ruling System-gives room for importers to seek advance decisions on value and classification, reducing human contact and disputes, thus encouraging compliance; Authorised Economic Operator (AEO): Facilitates seamless movement of goods for compliant traders, minimising interference; Non-Intrusive Inspection (Scanning). All these according to him, enhance efficiency and reduce human contact.
“And I’m happy to tell you that possibly today or tomorrow, it might possibly be today, we are going to start on the first phase, rolling out these pass-through scanners. I can tell you within one hour, we will scan 150 to 200 containers. All these are done to reduce human interference in clearing processes,” he hinted.
Comptroller Oshoba also highlighted the importance of collaboration with Stakeholders including NAFDAC and other agencies, to ensure public safety and national security.
He said, “We’ve continued to have collaboration with the major stakeholders here, starting from our importers, the agents involved, Ports Authority, the Police, NAFDAC, NDLEA, we have strategic collaboration with all these people because we are all geared towards the same goal of increasing revenue for the country, ensuring public safety and national security.
“Those are key elements of trade facilitation; we raise revenue, ensure public safety, that is, we are zero tolerant to issues of illicit drugs in this environment.
“Also, we have zero tolerance to anything that will affect national security. In terms of proliferation of arms, we don’t tolerate that. So, collaboration has helped us in achieving this target. All of the reforms have helped us to get to this stage, and by the special grace of God, like they say in economics, all things being equal, ceteris parabus, we expect to be going higher and higher,” he said.
Regarding Port operations, the Customs Area Controller pushed for Industrial peace and harmony within the Port environment, noting efforts made to address congestion.
He identified factors contributing to the Port congestion to include: the issue of containers on transire lingering in the port instead of departing for their destinations; trucks pileup within and outside the port, as truckers turned the environment into a truck park, as found in places like Ore, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, truckers are gradually turning the Port into truck parks; “We found out that there are some possible underhand activities by some people deliberately causing truck delays,” he said.
”So I had to go out, meet the port manager, and we both agreed that we’ll work in tandem to do this. And I can reasonably tell you, if you look at the 1.6 kilometer road stretch from the Port, the traffic situation has improved.The Port manager has assured me that he is on top of the game. He appreciated that we have some glitches in the ecosystem of this truck coming but they are going to work on it. So I believe very much that things will be okay as the year comes to an end,” he assured.
Comptroller Oshoba added that promoting the Country’s image is a Nigeria project and not individual Agency’s project emphasising, “The peace of the environment is key. We want industrial peace and harmony within this environment. And we must understand, this is an operational area…..we should employ a lot of bargaining. We’ve been taught, that it’s better to jawjaw, than to war war. So let that be the attitude in this environment, so that we can achieve our set goals,” he concluded.
In a related development, the Command did a test run of the newly installed scanning equipment at APM Terminals, Apapa later on Thursday, 6 November 2025.
Speaking on this, the Area Controller noted that the system aimed at eliminating manual paperwork by automatically linking scanned images with electronic declarations in real time.
He said, “We are now at the stage of 100 per cent readiness. Once a container is scanned and declared, the system automatically matches the data, analyses it, and approves release – no physical documents are needed”.
