Amid notable operational strides, the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has renewed its appeal for urgent intervention in addressing critical infrastructure deficits hampering trade facilitation and border security.
This was brought to the fore during a strategic working visit by the Zonal Coordinator, Zone A Lagos, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Charles Orbih, to the Command’s base at the ECOWAS Joint Border Post, Seme-Krake on Wednesday.
Receiving the visiting team, the Customs Area Controller of the Seme Command, Comptroller Dr. Ben Oramalugo, lamented the persistent challenges confronting the Command, including a seven-year power outage, poor road conditions, non-functional scanning systems, and border porosity. He stressed that despite these constraints, the Command has remained steadfast in its mandate delivery.
“While we have continued to deliver results in revenue generation, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling, these infrastructural setbacks remain a significant hurdle. We are advocating for urgent upgrades and deployment of modern surveillance technologies to bolster our performance,” Oramalugo said.
He presented a performance report indicating that the Command generated over ₦3.57 billion in revenue between January and May 2025, facilitated exports of 220,300 metric tonnes valued at ₦47 billion Free on Board (FOB), and recorded seizures worth ₦889 million. The seizures included expired drugs, cannabis, and mercury, which were handed over to appropriate agencies.
Responding, ACG Charles Orbih commended the Seme Command for maintaining operational excellence in spite of its limitations. He lauded recent infrastructure improvements such as the renovation of the COWA building, the commissioning of a new officers’ mess, and the upgrade of the Command’s sports complex.
“These initiatives reflect commitment to the transformation agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who is driving reforms based on consolidation, collaboration, and innovation,” Orbih stated.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to modernization through platforms such as the Advance Ruling System, the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme, and the B’Odogwu clearance platform. According to him, Zone A alone accounted for 79.8% of the NCS’s ₦1.3 trillion revenue collection in Q1 2025—a figure that highlights the region’s strategic importance.
Orbih also underscored the Service’s seven-point strategic focus for the year, including trade modernization, risk management, operationalization of the Customs Training College as a full-fledged university, CSR enhancement, transparency, and stronger international collaboration under AfCFTA.
Charging officers to remain proactive and committed, he said: “The bar has been raised for Zone A. Our past achievements must be stepping stones—not resting points. We must innovate and adapt to meet the evolving needs of the economy and national security.”
The visit concluded with renewed assurances that the leadership of the Service remains focused on removing bottlenecks and enhancing operational capacity across all Commands, especially those at key land borders like Seme.
