- Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (left), being shown one of the renovated offices at the Tin Can Island Port Command by the Area Controller, Compt. Dera Nnadi (right) at Apapa, Lagos…Tuesday
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Tuesday commissioned a wholly reconstructed administrative building at the Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) command, 40 years after the facility’s initial construction.
The others were two brand new facilities – a quarter guard and police post. Dedicating the structures to the glory of God and for the provision of better and more optimal service to the nation, Adeniyi described the new-look Tincan Customs Command as an award-winning project that will be celebrated at the NCS 2024 end-of-year awards.
He commended the TCIP Area Controller, Compt. Dera Nnadi, and all his men for the initiative, stating that when informed, he never knew it was such a gigantic project. He stated: “I just thought that they put some brushes here and there, but from what I have seen physically and from the video I’ve seen, this is an award-winning project.
“The award for the Nigeria Customs Service in 2024, which was supposed to have taken place two weeks ago, will now take place in two days’ time. As Comptroller-General of Customs, I can assure you that we will not forget this project.”
Adeniyi further revealed that the government was working on a single window to bring all stakeholders into an automated platform that will allow regulatory oversight and improve operational efficiency.
He underscored the need for more collaborations between customs and other government agencies, as well as freight forwarders, terminal operators and shipping companies, among others.
On his part, Compt. Nnadi said the renovation was beyond mere aesthetics or physical infrastructure upgrade, describing the development rather as a clear statement of intent that reinforces the CGC’s policy focus on collaboration, consolidation and innovation.
Nnadi stressed that a well-maintained office complex ensures that officers continue to provide exceptional service and achieve greater results in their core functions of revenue generation and trade facilitation.
“As we celebrate the unveiling of this renovated facility, we must recognise the historical context of this transformation. Since the inception of this command in 1977, no major renovation has been undertaken to update or modernise the office complex,” he disclosed.
“For decades, our officers have worked diligently within the confines of outdated infrastructure, and today, we witness a transformation that will no longer be just a reflection of the past, but a symbol of the future – a future that is modern, efficient and committed to service excellence.
“It is important to note that our work here at Tin Can Island Port goes beyond infrastructure; we are deeply committed to the economic growth of Nigeria.”
He further disclosed that the command has so far this year generated over N1.1 trillion – a historic figure collected in a single year and over 43 per cent more than the entire 2023 revenue of N639 billion.
