When the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) , Wale Adeniyi, appointed Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila as the current Controller of the Seme Command in March 18, 2026 , it was due to the confidence reposed in him that he would facilitate trade , check smuggling, boost revenue and effectively interpret Federal Government fiscal policies at the Border post.
Capacity
Comptroller Kaila’s choice for his new position was also not unconnected with his enviable antecedents , wealth of experience on customs operations and his capacity as an exceptional anti- smuggling officer , a lot of which he exhibited when he was the Controller of the Zone ‘D’ of the Federal Operations Unit , in Bauchi and more of which he has been improving upon in his current position.
It will be recalled that Comptroller Kaila had in Zone D Unit made massive contraband seizures worth over N229 million , curbed cross-border economic sabotage , protected local industries and wildlife products, recovered and improved government revenue and saved the lives of citizens and the economy through seizures of goods which importation has been prohibited.
Experience
The fact that the Seme Command is very strategic to the Nigeria’s economy due to its location as an entry point and link to the Republic of Benin and other countries, invariably it requires as the head , an intelligent and well experienced officer like Comptroller Kaila, who has been boosting the Nigeria’s trade and non- oil exports.
Confidence
He had begun early in his stint, to fulfil the promises he made to enhance the performance of the Command and boost the contributions of the Customs to economic development.
When he assumed duties at the Command in March 2026, he had pledged to set machinery in motion to eradicate trade hindrances affecting free movement of goods and services along the Lagos-Abidjan business corridor, prioritized national security, revenue growth, and trade facilitation across the strategic Nigeria-Benin corridor.
Impact
In other words, judging by the impact he has been making on the operations of the Command, within the very short period he mounted the saddle, it can truly be said that for him , it is not how far , but how well and that the good ones like him will continue to shine even in darkness.
To prove the Customs CG and the highest hierarchy of the Service right, and also in fulfillment of Comptroller Kaila’s promise , he has within the very short period he became the Controller begun to record impressive revenue growth ,boost anti-smuggling operations , deploy technology, facilitate trade, enhanced inter-agency cooperation and stakeholder engagement support and encouraged non- oil exports.
Strategic Engagements
The fact that he had immediately launched a series of strategic familiarization tours which assisted to strengthen collaboration with sister security agencies and border community stakeholders signifying commitment to achieving the goals and objectives of the Service, had also combined with other factors to enhance his success in office .
For instance , he had visited the Palace of Oba Akran of Badagry Kingdom, the late HRM De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I and met the King Regent, Chief Abel Ogunbiyi, with, the Onibereko of Ibereko Awori-Kingdom, Oba Israel Okoya and the Alapa of Apa Kingdom , Oba Oyekan Ajose Ilufemiloye where he offered hands of fellowship to all the stakeholders.
He had also met with, the Commanding Officer of the 653 Nigerian Air force base, Ahanve-, Group Captain Hungruy Medugu at the Headquarters in Badagry , The Navy and The Nigerian Police , the Republic of Benin Police office showing his readiness to eradicate hindrances affecting the free movement of goods and services across the border and for the purpose of boosting intelligence sharing.
Enhanced Stakeholders Synergy
Additionally, Comptroller Kaila has also continued to improve collaborations with customs agents, freight forwarders, transport unions, importers, exporters, and other stakeholders within the Seme corridor , reducing operational bottlenecks and improving compliance while he has continually operated an open -door policy type of management .
Trade Facilitation
By aligning with the Comptroller General of Customs’ vision, flowing from the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu his operations have also prioritized national security while eliminating avoidable bottlenecks to facilitate seamless, legitimate ECOWAS trade, simplified clearance procedures , improved compliance awareness and strengthened mutual trust between the Service and the trading public.
Increase In Revenue
Little wonder that in two months of his assumption of office , Comptroller Kaila was able to lead the Command to record an increase of 448 per cent in its revenue generation efforts as it collected N9,798,938,969 from all its operations during the period as against N2, 188,405,749 in the corresponding period of 2025, an improvement of N7, 610,533,220.
He has since then consistently been improving on the revenue of the Command , a development that has been attributed to the Command’s strategic deployment of the B’ Odogwu Platform, intensification of anti- revenue leakage measures, strengthened compliance mechanisms, enhance operational efficiency co- operation and the renewed dedication and professionalism of the officers.
Promotion of Non-oil Exports
It is also to the credit of Comptroller Kaila that in tandem with the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda , promotion of non- oil exports and ongoing efforts to improve Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, he has continually ensured that the Command provides guidance and support to Small and Medium Enterprises seeking access to regional and international markets particularly in export documentation and regulatory compliance processes.
Checking Smuggling
In the realm of anti- smuggling operations, the Command has sustained aggressive intelligence- led enforcement activities aimed at combating economic sabotage, protecting local industries and safeguarding public health and national security leading to the seizure of contraband goods worth over ₦500 million in two months in May , 2026, including cannabis, unregistered pharmaceuticals, foreign rice, vegetable oil, fuel, and used clothing.
Promotion of Technology
As part of measures to continually facilitate trade , he has also been promoting the use of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System and as such contributed to improved revenue collection, monitoring, and operational efficiency.
Conclusion
Thus considering the positive impact which Comptroller Kaila has been making at the Command within the short period he became the head of the Command in the areas of revenue generation, anti-smuggling enforcement, stakeholder relations, enhanced trade facilitation, and improved border security among others , it is expected that he would record better accomplishments that would enhance the Command’s progress as time goes on.
Written By Shola Fadeyi.
Headline crafted by Daniel Olushola
No comments:
Post a Comment