On June 19, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the appointment of Adewale Adeniyi as the acting Comptroller General of the Service.
Adeniyi was prior to his elevation, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Strategic Research and Policy Department.
That position placed upon his shoulders the responsibility for coordinating all Customs engagements with international organisations, notable among which were: World Customs Organization, (WCO), World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF). This is in addition to overseeing the coordination of all Nigeria Customs Service’s bilateral and multilateral trade relations.
To say that the new Customs boss came prepared for the job may be an understatement. He was in October last year conferred with a National Honour of the Member of the Order of Federal Republic (MFR) by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He bagged the Comptroller – General of Customs Award for seizure of $8,065,612 million cash at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in January 2020 and a Large College Crest Award for Excellence in Service as Deputy Commandant of the Services Command and Staff College in Abuja.
With this excellent résumé, Adewale Adenyi took over from Col Hameed Ali (rtd). We recall that, pon his appointment in 2015 as the CG of Customs, Ali had told senior officers of the service that, his mandate was to reform Customs, restructure Customs and increase the revenue generation.
Even though some have argued otherwise, there has been a remarkable increase in the revenue collected since 2015. From a figure of about N977.09 billion revenue in 2014, by 2022 the Service was already moving close to N3 trillion revenue.
Apart from the revenue haul, nothing much changed under Colonel Alli as the Comptroller General of Customs. His initial threats notwithstanding, corruption still thrived in the service while he held sway. If in doubt, ask licensed customs agents who faced issues that were prevalent during the tenure of Alli’s predecessor; Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde (now deceased).
Even though Col Alli threatened to jail corrupt officers, the highest he did was to sack some officers, none of whom was out rightly accused of being corrupt.
In the area of welfare, nothing significant has greatly changed in the take-home pay or in the life of the average officer. In the area of trade facilitation, nothing significant was added to what Alli inherited. Even the much-promised scanners are not available; it’s been hell for importers and their clearing agents, who have had to contend with multiple alerts on their cargoes.
Under the immediate Customs CG, it was business as usual for the average officer. They understood that their CG lacked sufficient knowledge to checkmate his officers. He undoubtedly had limited knowledge of what Customs entails.
But, the recent appointment of Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, signals a new era for the Service. The new dispensation offers an opportunity to redefine priorities and steer the organization towards a path of efficiency, transparency, and modernization.
Despite the evolution promised by past Comptrollers General, the NCS continues to grapple with challenges such as corruption, inefficiency, and the need for modernization.
Adeniyi must draw valuable lessons from the past, while embracing a forward-thinking approach to ensure meaningful change and deliver tangible results.
There is no doubt that the service battles with the challenge of striking a delicate balance between trade facilitation and revenue collection.
The emphasis on revenue collection, while essential for government coffers, has often led to cumbersome procedures, delays in cargo clearance and trade bottlenecks. This revenue-centric approach has hampered the efficiency of Customs operations, hindering the facilitation of legitimate trade and creating challenges for businesses.
It is expected that Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi will recognise the need to rebalance the priorities of the NCS, placing emphasis on trade facilitation alongside revenue generation. While revenue collection remains crucial, the focus should be on optimizing Customs processes, embracing technology, and streamlining procedures to facilitate legitimate trade flows. By adopting a more trader-friendly approach, the NCS can attract investments, enhance competitiveness, and contribute to economic growth
By streamlining customs procedures, leveraging technology, and fostering collaboration with stakeholders, the NCS can create an environment that supports seamless trade flows while effectively collecting revenues. Exploring innovative revenue collection strategies and implementing risk-based approaches will enhance compliance without impeding legitimate trade.
There have been modernization and introduction of information technology devices over the years. There used to be what was called ‘the Long Room’, which gave way to the Customs Processing Centre (CPC) in the late 1990s. Since then, there had been Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) and later ASYCUDA++. Lately, there has been an upgrade which the Customs calls ‘Nigeria Customs Integrated System’.
With all the innovations that the Nigeria Customs Service has introduced, it is shocking that most importers and their clearing agents are still at the mercy of its officials, from the terminal to all the ‘seats’ and to the various exit gates. Sadly, this extends to the highways and inter-city roads.
To bring the NCS into the digital age, the new Comptroller General must do more than just mouthing modernization. He must be determined to drive the process. This must involve adopting advanced IT systems, automation and data analytics tools to improve operational efficiency, enhance risk management capabilities, and expedite cargo clearance processes. Embracing IT will empower the NCS to align with international best practices, facilitate trade, and improve transparency.
There is a very obvious ‘battle’ ahead of the new helmsman in the area of tackling corruption within the system. The new Comptroller General should prioritize implementing robust internal controls, transparency and comprehensive ethics training programmes. It must emphasise a zero-tolerant approach to corruption, institute whistleblower mechanisms, and conducting regular audits that will promote integrity and rebuild public trust. Encouraging a culture of professionalism and accountability, will be instrumental in addressing internal challenges.
Many stakeholders would love to hear and see Customs officers found culpable in the line of duty being paraded and prosecuted, just like the Service also parades smugglers who were arrested. Adeniyi must lead by example by showing zero tolerance to issues pertaining to corruption in the service. He really needs to make example of corrupt personnel.
The new Nigeria Customs Service envisioned by the new helmsman needs collaboration and stakeholder engagement. Therefore, the new Comptroller General must actively engage and collaborate with other government agencies, the private sector, international organizations, and regional trade bodies.
By establishing a strong partnerships, sharing knowledge, and coordinating efforts, the Service can leverage expertise and resources to enhance trade facilitation, combat smuggling, and address cross-border challenges. Joint initiatives, capacity-building programmes, and information exchange will foster synergy and contribute to effective customs administration.
Given the new Comptroller General’s previous role as the Commandant of the NCS Training College, prioritizing staff welfare, training, and development is essential. This includes creating a conducive working environment, improving welfare packages, and providing opportunities for career growth and advancement. Investing in continuous training programmes, both in technical knowledge and leadership skills, will enhance the professionalism and competence of customs officers, leading to improved service delivery and job satisfaction.
In conclusion, it is our candid opinion that the Nigeria Customs Service under Adewale Adeniyi must implement a comprehensive reform agenda with a clear roadmap and realistic timelines as well as measurable targets.
He must re-engineer the service to establish a performance monitoring and management system, identify gaps, and make data-driven decisions.
He must reinforce collaboration with anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption within the Service, not minding who is affected.
To create Customs that is at par with others in the continent and possibly globally, the new-look Nigeria Customs Service must seek technical assistance and partnerships with international organisations to leverage on best practices and access resources for customs modernization.
In this way, the NCS will promote transparency by leveraging technology for online declarations, electronic payments, and automated risk assessment processes.
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