…His Milestone of Achievements So Far
By Odege Joseph
Before his appointment as the Comptroller-General (CG)of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi knew the agency like the palm of his hands. He had had an unbroken career moving through the officer cadres of NCS in the Public Relations Department to the very top as the agency’s National Public Relations Officer. As the spokesman, Adeniyi was well-grounded in industry regulations and operations as well as privileged insider knowledge of the agency’s structures, policies, operations, focus, aspirations, leadership and performance. Thus, when he became the CG, he was fully prepared for the responsibilities of the office. He wasted no time in taking off, and within a very short period, he was able to take the NCS to a new and unprecedented level of performance.
In his first 100 days in office, CG Adeniyi recorded milestone achievements, especially in the areas of unprecedented increase in revenue generation, enhanced protection of the society through seizures of arms, illicit drugs and ammunition, effective trade facilitation and stakeholder engagement, and attaining world standard service integrity. One year on, he is still gaining more momentum.
In the beginning
The Nigeria Customs Service was established in 1891, over two decades before Nigeria became a nation-state in 1914, and 69 years before Independence.
In the course of its 133-year history, the agency, initially saddled solely with responsibility for revenue collection, has had to deal with serial changes and challenges: changes in its enabling laws, changes in purpose, changes in structure, changes in strategy, changes in personnel, and many more.
Significantly, the Customs Service also experienced movement of its supervising ministry from finance to internal affairs and back to finance. Also, for the eight years that President Muhammadu Buhari was in office, he placed the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of a retired Nigerian soldier, Colonel Hamid Ali. It was the first time in more than three decades that “an outsider” was brought in to superintend over this important national institution. Despite his military mien, Colonel Ali’s tenure was not devoid of controversy; from his long-running brickbat with the national assembly over his refusal to wear the NCS uniform, to dwindling staff morale at the top echelon, and the $3.1 Billion Customs Modernisation Project that has been hobbled by multiple litigations.
It was against this background that President Bola Tinubu, less than a month after assuming office, appointed Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to the position of Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC). A career customs officer, Adeniyi had risen through the officer cadre of the service, holding important positions across different specialities. At different times, he was the Public Relations Officer of the NCS; Area Controller at the nation’s principal gateway, the Murtala Muhammed Airport; and Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College. All these gave him the multi-disciplinary professional exposure and experience that are critical to leading the NCS. Clearly, Adeniyi came well-prepared for the position of CG.
But it is one thing to be well prepared for the job but quite another to deliver. In just over a year in office, Adewale Adeniyi has proved to be more than equal to the task.
Mandates, policies, objectives and targets
Adeniyi’s appointment came during the early days of the Tinubu administration, when policy directives were being fine-tuned to meet the expectations of Nigerians. Under the guidance of Dr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the NCS embarked on an initiative to align its statutory responsibilities with the President’s Policy Advisory Document (PAD).
A total of nine priority areas were highlighted in the PAD to deliver immediate benefits within the administration’s first twelve months. These areas were categorized into four core statutory responsibilities of the NCS; trade facilitation, revenue collection, protection of society, and collaboration with stakeholders.
The Trade Facilitation responsibility has to do with transforming Nigeria into Africa’s most efficient trading nation and decongesting areas within four kilometres around ports for cargo, road, and railway users; enforcing the Presidential directive on 48-hour clearance of goods at seaports in line with Executive Order 001, as we as redefining performance measures of key government agencies to emphasize trade facilitation; implementing the National Single Window Trading Platform Project to streamline import and export processes; and establishing dedicated seaport and airport export terminals with enhanced capacity and upgraded access roads.
The Revenue Collection mandate consists of declaring a state of emergency in revenue generation, reviewing and restructuring existing incentives, waivers, and tariffs to plug economic leakages and boost key sectors, while the mandate to Protect the Society involves declaring a state of emergency in national security, aligned with the PAC document.
Lastly, the mandate on Collaboration with stakeholders consists of promoting strategic communication and engagement with key stakeholders, which was prioritized.
The CG explained during a press conference to mark his first 100 days in office that these set priorities were further endorsed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy during his inaugural briefing with the NCS Management Team.
He said: “Following the finalization of the Presidential Priority Areas (PPA) in subsequent weeks, the Service promptly realigned its operations to support six out of the eight PPAs that fall within its statutory responsibilities, including: reforming the economy to foster sustained inclusive growth, strengthening national security to promote peace and prosperity, enforcing cross border prohibition to achieve food security, prioritizing education, health, and social investment as pillars of national development; accelerating diversification through industrialization, digitization, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation; and improving governance for effective service delivery.”
According to CG Adeniyi: “These PPAs have been incorporated with the identified priority areas of the PAD in developing strategies to pursue the NCS statutory mandate under the overarching policy thrust of building upon previous successes, collaborating with strategic stakeholders, and deploying innovative solutions.
“This methodological approach was designed to achieve a tripartite objective, which include: aligning NCS activities with the policy directives of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration as one of the dependable agencies contributing to the realization of government plans for Nigerians and to ensure that NCS contribute effectively to the implementation of government’s fiscal policy objectives.
The objectives, long with the set targets by the government, based on NCS statutory responsibilities, were achieved within Adeniyi’s first 100 days in office. He attributed the feat to the steadfast support of the President and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who also serves as the Chairman of the Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB), in the implementation of relevant policy measures. “The outcomes in this performance report are attributed to the successes of the Chairman and Members of the Board for creating the enabling policy environment for the actualization of Mr. President’s vision.
One of the leading policy measures implemented by the NCS was the transition from the repealed Customs and Excise Act of 2004 to the newly signed Nigeria Customs Service Act of 2023.
The new act strengthens the modernization of NCS operations, compliance, and enforcement, with features that promote innovation within the Service, which include extensive sensitization, among others.
CG Adeniyi’s milestones
Adeniyi’s leadership has recorded tangible milestones in discharging the agency’s core statutory responsibilities: trade facilitation, revenue collection, protection of society, and collaboration with stakeholders. For instance, on trade facilitation, the NCS has been enforcing the Presidential directive on 48-hour clearance of goods at seaports, in line with Executive Order 001.
It has redefined performance measures of key government agencies to emphasize trade facilitation and implemented the National Single Window Trading Platform Project to streamline import and export processes. Additionally, the NCS has established dedicated seaport and airport export terminals with enhanced capacity and upgraded access roads.
It has also decongested areas within four kilometres around ports for cargo, road, and railway use. Regarding revenue collection, societal protection, and stakeholder collaboration, the Nigeria Customs under Adeniyi has reviewed and restructured existing incentives, waivers, and tariffs to plug economic leakages and boost key sectors.
The Customs Service has also prioritized strategic communication and engagement with key stakeholders. CG Adeniyi, has made the transition from the repealed Customs and Excise Act of 2004 to the newly-signed Nigeria Customs Service Act of 2023 very seamless. The new act strengthens the modernization of NCS operations, compliance, and enforcement, with features that promote innovation within the Service. It also forms the basis for several trade facilitation measures currently being pursued by the NCS.
After declaring a state of emergency on revenue collection, the Adeniyi-led Customs began implementing several revenue-enhancing measures. One such measure is the 90-day window approved by the President, through the Minister of Finance, allowing owners of uncustomed vehicles to pay appropriate duties on previously imported vehicles. This initiative followed the establishment of a Revenue Review Performance Recovery team charged with recovering potential post-revenue from pending transactions with Customs.
The NCS under Adeniyi has also implemented measures to address national security concerns, including the strengthening and reinforcement of the Federal Operating Units to pursue, intercept, arrest, and dismantle smuggling networks. The Service has also enhanced its reliance on intelligence sharing and collaborations both nationally and internationally to tackle security-related issues, particularly in the illicit trade of arms, ammunition, drugs, and wildlife.
In recent months, there has been a renewed focus on dismantling powerful cartels involved in the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), leading to ongoing collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in the NCS-led “Operation Whirlwind.” The resumption of petroleum smuggling, initially curtailed by the removal of fuel subsidy at the start of the Tinubu administration, is now being met with improved surveillance and enforcement. This has already yielded fruit, with nearly three million litres of petrol seized so far.
Adeniyi is fulfilling his goal of boosting the federal government’s revenue collection. Under him, the NCS has reported a remarkable 74 percent growth in revenue collection from N2.58 trillion in June 2023 to N4.49 trillion in May this year. The achievement was basically underpinned by a sustained increase of 70.13 percent in average monthly revenue collection compared to the previous year. While the Nigeria Customs previously generated an average of N202 billion monthly, it now realizes N343 billion on average per month. There is a substantial 122.35 percent rise in revenue collection during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year.
The Nigeria Customs has also intensified its fight against smuggling, recording a significant number of interceptions, high-value seizures, and numerous arrests of economic saboteurs. Between June 2023 and the time Adeniyi commemorated his first year in office, about 63 seizures related to animal and wildlife products valued at ₦566 million were recorded. Officers of the NCS intercepted caches of arms and ammunition at the nation’s ports and borders on seven different occasions. The agency also recorded a total of 127 seizures of illicit drugs involving narcotics and pharmaceutical products valued at N6 billion.
Under Adeniyi’s reign, a number of capacity development programmes have been organised locally and internationally for officers. During the second half of 2023, a total of 6,000 officers were trained broad in different capacity-building programmes. He also facilitated the promotion of over 2,400 officers. The NCS boss plans to achieve a N5.1 trillion revenue target in 2024 through staff motivation.
“We need to motivate our officers a little bit more because the last time we reviewed their salaries was over five years ago and I think we are due for another review and we will also take a second look at some of the allowances… We will also look at exit packages for officers who are retiring so that they will concentrate on the job while they are on active service,” he stated.
These milestones, among others, achieved by NCS under Adeniyi’s leadership have not gone unnoticed. Industry stakeholders have been applauding his performance. The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Tochukwu Ezeisi, for instance, said that freight forwarders are happy for the first time in years because “our issues are being discussed and decisions are taken immediately. Adewale has shown seriousness in achieving his three-point agenda by bringing back this (Comptroller-General of Customs) Conference, which is an avenue to listen to stakeholders, and we are ready to always work with the Service.”
The Deputy President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Kazeem Isa Adua, said: “The CGC has done well… and, with the positive body language seen today (at the Comptroller-General of Customs Conference), we should expect a smooth and optimized clearance process soon.”
The agency’s recent ranking under the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), which aims to streamline business operations in Nigeria through reforms and policies, attest to its new stellar performance. Between 2020 and 2022, the NCS maintained an average percentage score of 18.45 percent, ranking 28th out of the 37 MDAs ranked. In 2023, the ranking nosedived to 34th out of 39 MDAs, with a percentage score of 18.53 percent. This year, the Nigeria Customs made an unprecedented leap, up 33 places, to tie at the top with four other MDAs out of the 36 MDAs assessed, with a percentage score of 100 percent, marking an 81.5 percent increase.
The icing on the cake is the official acknowledgment of Adeniyi’s exceptional performance when he was recently honoured with the “Outstanding Revenue Collection” award at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (NEAPS) by President Tinubu. The award was bestowed during a ceremony at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in recognition of CG’s significant achievements in revenue generation since his appointment as Comptroller-General of Customs in June 2023. The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, represented President Tinubu, at the occasion.
After receiving the award, Adeniyi re-stated his commitment to advancing Nigeria’s economy through revenue collection and trade facilitation. He thanked the president, the SGF, and NEAPS for the recognition, stating, “This national recognition is a challenge for the Service to double its efforts in making this country proud. It motivates public officials to dedicate themselves and perform diligently in office.”
Current challenges and the future
For Adeniyi, the journey so far at NCS has not been smooth sailing, in spite significant improvements in performance. There was the stampede that resulted from the distribution of rice, an unfortunate outcome of an altruistic gesture to alleviate the plight of citizens. There remains also the challenge of gaining the public’s utmost confidence in the anti-corruption fight. The modernisation project remains stuck in the law courts, thereby hindering the NCS from maximising technology to improve its efficiency. All these and more are challenges that the Comptroller-General must continue to seek and implement innovative solutions, to complement his efforts on the core mandate of the NCS.
For now, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has proven to be a right peg in the round hole of the Nigeria Customs Service. In him, officers and men of the customs have a leader who deeply loves the institution and represents their yearnings and aspirations. The agency, under CG Adeniyi, continues to develop effective strategies to strengthen the country’s economy. The significant achievements recorded so far, facilitated by Adeniyi’s exemplary and altruistic leadership, are just a tip of the iceberg.
The impact of his leadership so far has shown that he is doing his very best to position the NCS to meet and surpass the expectations of the country, and the demands of a technology-driven world.
Who is Bashir Adewale Adeniyi?
Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), was born in Modakeke, Osun state and educated at University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.
He joined the Nigeria Customs Service and rose to become Deputy Comptroller of Customs in 2012, and served as the Customs National Public Relations Officer (Headquarters Abuja) among other duties.
He was appointed Comptroller of Customs in April 2017, and later, Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Adeniyi became Assistant Comptroller-General in February 2020, and supervised the seizure of $8.07 million cash being illegally taken out of Nigeria through the E-Wing of the International Airport tarmac. In June 2023, he was appointed as the Acting Comptroller-General of NCS by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The appointment was confirmed in October 2023.
Tim Akano, Adeniyi’s classmate in the university, describes him as a humorous, academically brilliant, focused, philanthropist and Man-O-War-trained leader who’s never been overwhelmed by challenges. Akano, now Managing Director of New Horizon’s System Solution, in a piece published in ThisDay newspaper following Adeniyi’s appointment as CG, NCS, said, among other things: “By Wale’s appointment as the new Comptroller-General of Customs Service, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is putting a round peg in a round hole. PBAT has appointed a versatile, academically sound and experienced professional with an impeccable character; visionary, tested and trusted, results-oriented turnaround leader as the new class captain of the Nigeria Customs Service. As Wale had done with all the past class captain roles he held, he will not fail to reposition the NCS to make it globally competitive.
“I strongly believe Wale would make our generation proud. He owes Nigeria, he owes the Commander in Chief, and Wale owes our generation to raise the bar of quality public service delivery, that it is possible and it can be done!
“Having known Wale for about 40 years, I have zero doubt that the new Comptroller-General will make a positive difference in moving forward the Nigeria Customs Service. Wale knows the enormity of expectations from different sources concerning the new task at hand, but since everything Wale touched in the past had turned to gold, the NCS under his watch will witness a phenomenal transformation in the months and years ahead.”
In just over a year in office, Adeniyi has proved his friend right. The CG is proving to be a transformation leader at the Nigeria Customs Service.
