Outgoing Customs Area Comptroller of Apapa Command, Babatunde Olomu, says his administration has established a strong framework for sustained revenue growth and operational efficiency at Nigeria’s busiest port command.

Speaking during his handover ceremony, Olomu described the command’s achievements as the product of “consistent efforts and deliberate planning,” stressing that his team pursued improved revenue collection on an hourly, daily, weekly, and quarterly basis.

“Together as a team, we all confronted odds to excel and we accomplished in the areas of revenue collection, anti-smuggling, trade facilitation and robust stakeholders’ engagement,” he said.

He attributed much of the success to teamwork inspired by the Comptroller-General’s policy direction, which emphasized close collaboration with stakeholders across government and the private sector.

Reflecting on his tenure, which began in May 2024, Olomu said the command’s focus on trade facilitation, ICT deployment, and anti-smuggling strategies had ensured Apapa could now “operate optimally on an autopilot mode” in key areas of customs efficiency.

“We have laid a solid structure for consolidation,” he said, adding that the foundation built under his leadership would help sustain future growth at the flagship command.

Olomu, who has now been elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, expressed gratitude to Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi for entrusting him with the responsibility of overseeing Apapa Command, and noted that while challenges arose during his tenure, solutions were always pursued with the goal of strengthening the Service and the nation’s economy.

Vanguard