Officers at the briefing
Story by Dili Utomi.
The main hall of the Lagos Free Trade Zones Command, Nigeria Customs Service hosted officers, stakeholders and journalists, Wednesday as the Customs Area Command, Comptroller Hauwa Abubakar gave a scorecard of their operations over the past six months.
The event had heads of the various business enterprises operating within the different free trade zones under in the Command in attendance.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs KA Yuguda presented a paper on the significance of proper documentation for Transire movement of cargoes. He defined Transire as the coastal movement of cargoes from the mother Ports to other Ports of destination without the necessary need for importation formalities.
The Command’s PRO, CSC LA Abdullahi-Lagos at the event.
Transire act to give access on warrant, clearance or clearance certificate issued by the Customs for cargoes to move to other ports, terminals or free zones were the final clearance for release is carried out. AC Yuguda reaffirmed the imperative nature of proper documentation as provided by the various sections of the Customs Act 2023. He urges all stakeholders to embrace the steps provided therein.
On his part, Assistant Comptroller of Customs, OA Omekam spoke on the benefits of proper documentation for Transire to include smooth clearance of cargoes, preventing of fraud and smuggling, reduces financial losses, reduces sundry charges and again, proper tracking for improved revenue generation.
Comptroller Abubakar with some of the ladies at the event.
The Customs Area Controller of the Lagos Free Trade Zones Command, is Comptroller Hauwa Abubakar, making her first press briefing this year, she declared that “Since its establishment four years ago, the Lagos Free Trade Zones Command has become a model of trade facilitation within the Service. Its commitment to efficient trade processes and operational excellence has enhanced the ease of doing business while positioning the Command as one of the country’s major revenue-generating commands”
This remarkable transformation, she noted is a reflection of the visionary leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the strategic direction of the Management Team, the dedication of the officers and the unwavering cooperation and improved compliance of stakeholders.
She announced that the Command recorded its highest monthly revenue collection since inception in the month of June 2026, generating a total of ₦ 87,102,845,714.51 (Eighty-Seven Billion, One Hundred and Two Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Seven hundred and Fourteen Naira, Fifty-One Kobo).
Her words “This historic achievement demonstrates the Command’s growing capacity and the increasing confidence of investors and stakeholders operating within the Free Trade Zones under our jurisdiction and Lekki Deepsea Port”.
Again, between the months of January and June 2026, the Command generated a total revenue of ₦ 408,869,138,497.75 (Four Hundred and Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty-nine Million, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Nine-Seven Naira, Seventy-Five Kobo).
“This represents an increase of ₦91,546,402,785.69k over the ₦317,322,735,712.06k collected during the corresponding period in 2025, amounting to an impressive 28.85% increase in revenue performance”.
Comptroller Abubakar added that the unprecedented growth is not accidental, but the product of deliberate strategies aimed at strengthening compliance, improving operational efficiency and fostering constructive engagement with all stakeholders operating within the Free Trade Zones and Lekki Port.
Comptroller Abubakar flanked by her lieutenants making her address.
While noting that LFTZ Command is now the third largest Command in the NCS fold, the CAC thanked the officers of the Command for their dedication and the stakeholders, investors, licensed customs agents, importers, exporters and members of the business community for their cooperation.
She reaffirmed that the Lagos Free Trade Zone Command will continue to provide an enabling environment for legitimate trade by promoting trade facilitation in accordance with global best practices, while ensuring strict compliance with all extant laws and regulation.
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