Mu’azu assumes duty as Apapa customs controller, pledges consolidation

Comptroller Murtala Mu’azu has assumed duty as the 33rd Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Area Command, pledging to consolidate achievements in revenue generation, trade facilitation, enforcement and institutional discipline.

The Customs Public Relations Officer of the command, Isah Sulaimon, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

Sulaimon said the assumption of duty and farewell ceremonies attracted heads of security agencies, regulators, terminal operators, shipping companies, customs brokers and other stakeholders.

In his address, Mu’azu described the appointment as a great honour and privilege, expressing appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for the confidence reposed in him.

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

He said his administration would be guided by the Comptroller-General’s three strategic pillars of consolidation, collaboration and innovation.

Mu’azu said the administration would focus on revenue integrity, trade facilitation, professionalism and effective stakeholder engagement.

On revenue generation, he said all revenue due to the government would be properly assessed and collected.

He stressed that decisions taken by officers must be transparent, accountable and capable of withstanding scrutiny over time.

Mu’azu assured stakeholders that the command would deepen collaboration with importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, shipping companies, terminal operators, port authorities and other government agencies.

He said the objective was to make operations at the port more efficient and facilitate legitimate trade.

He vowed to eliminate avoidable delays in cargo processing, saying unnecessary human induced delays and non-tariff barriers would not be tolerated at Apapa.

He said where all requirements had been met, legitimate cargo should be allowed to move without avoidable obstruction.

Mu’azu also charged officers to maintain discipline, professionalism, decorum and courtesy in their dealings with the public.

He acknowledged the achievements of his predecessor, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, particularly the command’s record monthly revenue collection of N323 billion in July 2026.

He also cited the single-day collection of N28.102 billion recorded on Aug. 18, 2026, describing the figures as significant milestones.

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

He commended Oshoba’s contributions to enforcement, trade facilitation and modernisation initiatives at the command.

He specifically mentioned the B’Odogwu platform, Advance Ruling, Authorised Economic Operator Programme, One-Stop Shop and deployment of Non-Intrusive Inspection technology.

In his farewell message, Oshoba, who retired from the service, thanked officers, men and stakeholders for their support during his tenure.

He said the achievements recorded by the command belonged to all officers and stakeholders who contributed to its progress.

Oshoba urged officers to uphold discipline as a foundation, professionalism as a standard and excellence as an aspiration.