Oladapo Afeni: Outlines Nigeria Customs Enforcement Strategy

• Oladapo Afeni has been appointed the 30th acting Customs Area Controller for the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service.
• His administration will prioritize intelligence-led enforcement, blocking revenue leakages, and protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
• Afeni pledged firm, lawful enforcement alongside facilitating legitimate trade through constructive engagement with stakeholders and enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
• The outgoing CAC, Gambo Aliyu, reported 779 smuggling attempts intercepted, with seizures valued at N13.07 billion.
• Aliyu's tenure also saw N3.192 billion recovered between December 2025 and September 2026, exceeding the annual target by 798 percent.

The new Oladapo Afeni Nigeria Customs enforcement strategy is poised to leverage data and intelligence to enhance operational effectiveness and ensure compliance across various trade activities.

Oladapo Afeni has officially assumed duties as the 30th acting Customs Area Controller (CAC) for the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service. Taking charge at the command in Ikeja, Mr. Afeni outlined a clear strategic direction for his administration, emphasizing a commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, robust efforts to block revenue leakages, and the overarching protection of Nigeria’s economic and security interests. This new leadership transition follows the retirement of the immediate past CAC, Gambo Aliyu, marking a significant shift in the unit's command structure.

In his inaugural address, Deputy Comptroller Afeni articulated a vision for purposeful, professional, and accountable leadership, aligning with the broader mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service. His stated priorities underscore a proactive approach to customs operations, signaling a potentially stricter regulatory environment for trade and customs in Nigeria. The new Oladapo Afeni Nigeria Customs enforcement strategy is poised to leverage data and intelligence to enhance operational effectiveness and ensure compliance across various trade activities.

The new acting CAC detailed a balanced approach to his unit's responsibilities, affirming that all enforcement activities under his command would be conducted with firmness, strict adherence to legal frameworks, and respect for human dignity. Simultaneously, Mr. Afeni pledged to actively facilitate legitimate trade through constructive engagement with a wide array of stakeholders, including traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, and customs brokers. This commitment to trade facilitation Nigeria Customs aims to foster a cooperative environment while maintaining stringent oversight.

Furthermore, a key component of Oladapo Afeni Customs CAC priorities involves strengthening collaboration with other security and law-enforcement agencies. This inter-agency cooperation is deemed crucial for effectively combating trans-border crimes, which encompass the illicit movement of drugs, arms, currencies, counterfeit goods, and other prohibited items. This intelligence-led customs enforcement Nigeria framework seeks to create a unified front against criminal elements, safeguarding national interests.

The outgoing Comptroller, Gambo Aliyu, reflected on a tenure marked by significant operational successes in combating various illicit activities. His administration at the Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operations Unit Zone A focused intensely on countering smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration, false declarations, and the movement of prohibited goods. During his leadership, the unit recorded 779 smuggling attempts, leading to substantial seizures.

These interceptions included over 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 61 used vehicles, thousands of used compressors and clothing items, foreign poultry products, 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg, 2.30kg of cocaine, more than 3,000 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit totaling 76,505 litres, and 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg. The cumulative duty-paid value of these seizures amounted to N13.07 billion. Beyond seizures, the unit demonstrated remarkable financial performance between December 2025 and September 2026, recovering N3.192 billion. This figure represents an impressive 798 percent of its N400 million annual target for 2026 and a 776 percent increase over the N411 million recovered during the corresponding period in 2025, highlighting effective Nigeria customs revenue leakage blocking strategies.

Mr. Aliyu attributed his unit's achievements to enhanced risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted introspection into suspicious declarations, teamwork, professionalism, and robust collaboration with sister agencies and stakeholders. He emphasized that no enforcement agency can operate successfully in isolation, underscoring the importance of partnerships. In his handover remarks, Aliyu welcomed his successor, charging him to lead with fairness, firmness, courage, and sound judgment, while assuring him of a strong operational foundation.

The transition signals a continued emphasis on rigorous enforcement and revenue generation, building upon the established successes. The new acting CAC has also pledged attention to the welfare and professional development of officers, institutional discipline, and regular sporting activities to promote fitness, teamwork, and work-life balance within the unit. This comprehensive approach suggests a sustained focus on both external enforcement and internal capacity building to meet the evolving challenges of customs operations.

Lawyers and compliance officers should note the new CAC's commitment to intelligence-led enforcement and revenue recovery, indicating a potentially stricter regulatory environment for trade and customs in Nigeria. Clients involved in import/export should be advised to enhance compliance measures, conduct thorough due diligence, and prepare for increased scrutiny on declarations and potential enforcement actions to mitigate risks of penalties or seizures.

Source: Original reporting via Punch