Missionary upbringing shaped my discipline, leadership — Afeni

..Takes CGC Adeniyi’s Customs Cares beyond conventional enforcement

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Acting Customs Area Controller for the Ogun 1 Area Command (Idiroko border) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Deputy Comptroller of Customs Olukayode Oladapo Afeni, has attributed his disciplined approach to leadership and the transformation recorded under his watch to values instilled in him from childhood through his family’s missionary background.

Afeni, who has been commended by the Ipokia Youth Forum and other notable stakeholders for his orderliness, discipline, result-oriented approach, humility and contribution to the resurgence of the Command, in a chart with Nation Update said his upbringing taught him the values that have continued to shape his conduct in public service.

“My grandparents were missionaries. I was involved in religious activities. I imbibed the routine of keeping to early morning prayers and religious activities, the discipline of standing up and sitting down for hymns in church, Bible readings, choir activities, prayers and youth programmes. All these and more contributed in shaping me into who I am,” he said.

Afeni 

The Acting Controller was emphatic about the principles that guide his leadership.

“I detest lousiness and lies,” he declared.

For Afeni, however, discipline in Customs administration goes beyond personal conduct. It also means understanding the communities where officers operate, building trust with residents and creating an environment where legitimate economic activities can thrive.

Undoubtedly, such philosophy appears to have influenced his approach to the Ogun border command, where he has sought to complement traditional enforcement responsibilities with community development, youth engagement and corporate social responsibility.

Afeni said the approach draws significant inspiration from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, whose “Customs Cares” initiative has placed community intervention at the heart of the Service’s corporate social responsibility(CSR) programme.

CGC Adeniyi and the Commonwealth Award

Adeniyi’s CSR drive recently received international recognition with the Commonwealth Environment and CSR Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 31, 2026.

Afeni said the CGC’s global CSR recognition had provided fresh impetus for commands across the country to intensify community-focused interventions and extend the reach of the Customs Cares philosophy.

“Global-scale attainment in corporate social responsibility by the Comptroller-General is simply the energiser and boost towards our vigorous CSR contributions across the country,” he said.

He noted that under Adeniyi, the NCS had invested resources in education, healthcare, support for vulnerable Nigerians and environmental sustainability.

CGC’S wife Kikelomo Adeniyi at a tree planting campaign 

The “Green Borders Initiative”, championed by the CGC’s wife and National President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, is also part of the wider effort to promote environmental sustainability in border communities.

Adeniyi had attributed the international recognition of Customs Cares to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the initiative had reached more than 10 million Nigerians in 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) through school renovations, healthcare projects, clean water, food support and environmental interventions.

“Beyond every classroom renovated, every borehole commissioned and every tree planted is something even more enduring; trust,” Adeniyi said.

From CSR to Border Community Development

At Ogun I Command, Afeni said the philosophy had translated into tangible interventions in communities around the Idiroko border.

He listed structural interventions at several schools, including Community Primary School, Igbo; Adiguns Community Primary School, Odan Aje; Ipokia Local Government School I and II, Idiroko; Ipokia Local Government School, Ikolaje; and Local Government Primary School, Igini.

The Command has also partnered with organisations such as Teach for Nigeria under initiatives including the Cloth a Child Project, providing school uniforms, textbooks, writing materials and other essential stationery to pupils in rural border communities.

According to Afeni, such interventions are intended to improve the quality of life while reducing the vulnerability of young people to illicit border activities.

“We have provided hospitals, ambulance services, doctors and equipment. We have rebuilt jetties and provided support to their welfare,” he said.

The Command has also deployed sporting activities as part of its youth engagement strategy, including football competitions for secondary school students.

“We are doing all we can to harmonise trade here. We are convinced that enforcement should not be all about the gun,” Afeni said.

‘The People Here Are Not Naturally Smugglers’

His understanding of the border communities has also shaped his approach to anti-smuggling operations.

Having previously worked in the area, Afeni said he was familiar with the people and the geography of Ipokia, a factor he considers valuable in managing the complex relationship between Customs and border residents.

“I knew almost all the people here and all the nooks and crannies here in Ipokia because I have worked here before,” he said.

Afeni challenged the tendency to portray residents of the border communities as natural smugglers, arguing that sustainable enforcement must be accompanied by legitimate economic alternatives for people whose livelihoods have historically depended on cross-border activities.

“The people here are not naturally smugglers. The challenge here is that you can’t take away what the people are used to without offering them an alternative,” he said.

He argued that enforcement must therefore be accompanied by legitimate economic opportunities, particularly for young people.

“The youths are aspiring higher and making exploits,” he said, insisting that residents should not be stigmatised simply because they come from a border community.

“How does an indigene feel when you stigmatise them because of where they were born? They are good people,” he said.

Poor Roads, Trade and the Border Economy

Afeni also identified poor road infrastructure as a major constraint to legitimate economic activity in the area.

He specifically cited the road from Aton through Owode to Idiroko, saying its poor condition had constrained business activities, particularly exports, despite Federal Government incentives aimed at encouraging legitimate trade.

“We are hopeful. Since the contract for the road reconstruction has been awarded, we are grateful to the government. Very soon, the bad road in this axis will be a thing of the past,” he said.

He expressed optimism that improved infrastructure would stimulate legitimate commercial activities along the corridor.

“Very soon, activities will fully and heavily bounce back in this corridor,” he added.

For Afeni, therefore, the transformation of Ogun 1 Customs is not measured only by seizures, revenue collection or enforcement statistics. It also involves restoring confidence between the Service and its host communities.

He said the approach was already yielding results, pointing to improved relations between Customs personnel and residents.

“The people here are presently happy with us in what we are doing. No more crisis. They trust us now. We all work together in the best interest of the country,” he said.