After ₦323bn July collection, Apapa customs records ₦28.1bn in one day

…As Oshoba links milestone to compliance, reforms, national dev

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has set another revenue record, generating ₦28.102 billion in a single day on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, barely weeks after posting its highest-ever monthly collection of ₦323 billion in July.

The latest performance represents the highest single-day revenue collection in the history of the Command, surpassing the previous record of ₦20.1 billion achieved in September 2025, shortly after Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba assumed office as Customs Area Controller.

The back-to-back revenue milestones highlight the sustained improvement in the Command’s revenue performance, which the management attributed to enhanced compliance, trade facilitation, intelligence-driven interventions and increasing efficiency in digital Customs processes.

CGC Adewale Adeniyi

The Command’s latest feat also comes against the backdrop of ongoing reforms under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, with increased emphasis on automation, transparency, compliance and improved service delivery.

Reacting to the record, Comptroller Oshoba said the significance of the achievement went beyond the figures generated, stressing that Customs revenue ultimately contributes to the capacity of government to finance national development.

In a release signed by Chief Superintendent of Customs Idaho Sulaiman Public Relations Officer of the command, revenue collected by the Service forms part of the resources deployed by government to address critical needs, including infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and other public services.

He therefore dedicated the milestone to the government and people of Nigeria, while commending the CGC and the management team for their support for the modernisation of the Service.

Oshoba said the reforms had continued to improve Customs operations and create a more efficient and business-friendly environment for legitimate traders.

He particularly acknowledged the contribution of compliant importers, exporters, licensed Customs agents and other stakeholders to the Command’s performance, as well as Nigerians who provide actionable intelligence to the Service.

The CAC stressed that compliance remained central to sustainable revenue growth, urging stakeholders to continue to support legitimate trade and adhere to approved Customs procedures.

He said every compliant transaction contributes to national development by strengthening the revenue base available to government.

Oshoba, however, cautioned officers and men of the Command against becoming complacent following the latest achievement.

He charged them to see the new record as a greater responsibility to improve performance, insisting that revenue generation must be balanced with trade facilitation, professionalism, transparency and respect for stakeholders.

He directed officers to resolve legitimate disputes promptly and ensure that Customs procedures do not unnecessarily impede lawful businesses.

The CAC maintained that the objective was not merely to continue setting revenue records, but to build a Customs environment where increased revenue collection goes hand in hand with efficient cargo clearance, predictable procedures and improved stakeholder confidence.

The latest ₦28.1 billion single-day collection reinforces the strong revenue trajectory recorded by the Apapa Command in recent months.

With the July collection of ₦323 billion already representing a historic monthly performance, the August 18 figure provides another indication of the Command’s growing revenue capacity.

For Oshoba, however, the challenge now extends beyond breaking records to sustaining the performance while ensuring that the port remains conducive to legitimate trade and investment.

He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to enhanced revenue generation, digitalisation, intelligence-led enforcement, trade facilitation and stronger stakeholder collaboration.