Officers and journalists at the Press Briefing.
Story by Dili Utomi.
Good commendations, great encouragement and rapturous applause greeted the announcement of the surpassing of the target, this happened within the ambience of the conference hall at the Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Tuesday.
The setting was the end of year press briefing by the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Okechukwu Onyeka whose helmsmanship of the Command which began just over a year ago has witnessed tremendous improvement on the legacy left by his predecessor.
Comptroller Onyeka is generally seen as a revenue guru and he has not by any means disappointed in the discharge of his mandate, as an officer and the head of the Tin Can Island Port Command.
The hall was filled with officers and journalists, the atmosphere was of a more relaxed setting. Part of the CAC’s speech reads “For the 2025 fiscal year, the Tincan Island Port Command was assigned a revenue target of ₦1,524,669,999,478.52. I am pleased to inform you that as at the time of this report, the Command has generated total revenue of ₦1,576,507,651,601.84. This means we have exceeded our annual target by over ₦51,837,652,129.32, a milestone that reflects discipline, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to duty. This growth did not happen by chance; it is the outcome of deliberate reforms, improved processes, and collective responsibility.
Comparatively, the generated amount towers over the ₦1.13 Trillion that the Command raked in, 2024, clearly showcasing the results of the extra efforts put in to acheive greater performances.
The generated revenue is a record for the Command and it underscores the very essence of the principles on which the CAC has anchored his operations-stakholders engagement, blocking of revenue loopholes, prudent allocation of all resources including time and the keying into the innovative methods as espoused by his principal, the Comptroller-General of Customs.
His words “Our major revenue contributors remain bulk cargo, general merchandise, and the importation of used vehicles, which constitute a significant volume of trade passing through the Port. Through diligent cargo examination, and strict adherence to customs procedures, the Command ensured that government revenues due on these imports were fully collected”.
“One of our key focus areas in 2025 was the elimination of revenue leakages and operational inefficiencies. We deliberately addressed the issue of multiple and unnecessary alerts, which had previously slowed down clearance processes and created room for abuse. By streamlining Alerts and strengthening internal”.
Though more inclined towards revenue generation by experience and disposition, Comptroller Onyeka clearly has eyes also for trade facilitation and very importantly, the protection of the economy.
Earlier in the course of the year around March, two containers were intercepted carrying illicit drugs worth more than N8 billion, including cannabis indica and crystal methamphetamine, collectively weighing over a metric tonne. The contraband was promptly handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In another operation, a 40-foot container supposedly loaded with used cars concealed a cache of weapons: pistols, live ammunition, blank rounds, empty magazines, and handcuffs. The discovery, made possible through a mix of physical inspection and non-intrusive scanning, underscored the Command’s vigilance. The arms cost over ₦2 billion. They, along with the implicated consignee and declarant, were handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).
Comptroller Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, the CAC, Tin Can Island Port Command, NCS.
Yet in October, another round of seizures of 2X20FT containers which were intercepted in different batches, falsely declared to contain used Cars and used Auto Spare parts originating from Canada yielded different types of drugs including methamphetamine, Canadian loud and hashish oil. These hard drugs were estimated to cost over ₦5.3 billion.
Comptroller Onyeka has during the questions and answers session remarked that ” the best staff staff of the Nigeria Customs Service is domiciled in the Tin Can Island Port Command and we also have wonderful stakeholders who are highly compliant and cooperative. We close work here everyday by 10.00pm in order to solve the problems and complaints of stakeholders”.
He noted also that a major factor that catalysed the growth was that the trading public came back to the Command and that it takes about two days or less for any cargo that has moved from ship to shore to be cleared and leave the premises of the Command.
On the national single window project which takes off by early next year, Comptroller Onyeka said ” we expect the trading public to be happier for it when the project starts”.
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