Special Report
By Chukwudi George Ozalla
Trade does not begin at the quayside, and it certainly does not end in the back of a truck. It moves through a chain of facilities that many Nigerians pass every day without realizing how vital they are to the country’s revenue system. From the bustling stretches of Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports in Lagos to Onne, Port Harcourt and Calabar seaports in the South South region, and inland dry ports and bonded terminals scattered across the hinterland, this network is where goods are received, inspected, stored, cleared and eventually released into the market. It is across this system that the Nigeria Customs Service, under the steady leadership of Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, generates the critical non-oil revenue that keeps government operations afloat.
An inland dry port is essentially a port brought closer to inland communities. It allows traders in places far from the coast to handle and clear their containers as though they were standing right at Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Port Harcourt, or Calabar. Customs officers stationed there inspect goods, process documents and release cargo for onward distribution. This reduces pressure on coastal terminals and gives businesses quicker access to their imports, especially in states where industrial and commercial activity has grown significantly.
Bonded terminals and freight stations serve a related but slightly different purpose. They are secure places where goods that have arrived in the country are kept under customs control until the importer completes all clearance and pays the proper duties. The items cannot enter the market until Customs approves them. These facilities help ease congestion at seaports by moving containers to other locations where officers can continue their work without slowing coastal operations. For importers whose warehouses or factories are far from the coast, they also reduce turnaround time and logistics stress.
The seaports in the South South corridor, especially Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, play crucial roles in this system. Onne has become one of the most active maritime gateways in the country, generating more than one hundred and ninety billion naira (₦190.57 billion) between January and March 2025 alone, while also announcing seizures valued at more than ten billion naira in duty-paid goods. Port Harcourt’s Area I Command, supervising several terminals, contributed over two hundred and forty-seven billion naira (₦247.461 billion) between January and October, surpassing its full-year target ahead of schedule. Calabar Port, strategically positioned for cross-border and regional trade, recorded impressive collections and significantly reduced congestion in its zone, highlighting its growing importance to national trade and inland distribution.
Yet the backbone of national customs revenue still comes from Lagos, where Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port process the highest volumes of cargo entering the country. Apapa’s collections passed the two trillion naira mark by October 2025, reaching about two trillion, four hundred and two billion naira (₦2.402 trillion), and recorded a monthly all-time high of three hundred and four billion naira (₦304.0 billion) in October alone. Tin Can Island posted more than seven hundred billion naira in the first half of the year, about seven hundred and forty-seven billion naira (₦747.07 billion), marking nearly thirty per cent growth over the previous period. These figures show that while other regions contribute strongly, Lagos remains the country’s commercial pressure point and a crucial pillar of national revenue generation.
A senior economist, Dr. Michael Obasi, once remarked that no nation can build lasting economic growth without strengthening its trade infrastructure. His view is reflected clearly in the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service, whose work forms the bedrock of non-oil revenue. Under CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Service has improved coordination across seaports, inland facilities, and bonded terminals while tightening enforcement to curb smuggling and protect public revenue. Digitisation, stronger inter-command communication, and real-time monitoring have also made revenue leakages harder to exploit.
Between January and October 2025, Customs recorded strong earnings from duties, levies, and related charges across all commands. National revenue for the first quarter alone stood at more than one trillion, seven hundred billion naira (₦1.75 trillion), reflecting the combined contributions of Lagos ports, South South ports including Calabar, and inland operations. The same period saw hundreds of seizures across major commands, with duty-paid values running into several billions. Large operations in Onne, along border areas, and in the Lagos axis confirmed that enforcement and revenue mobilisation are moving hand in hand.
The practical impact of these efforts is clear. Goods now move more predictably from seaports to inland dry ports and bonded terminals. Clearance delays have reduced in several commands, and importers who operate far from the coast can complete their processes closer to home. At the same time, improved surveillance and stronger intelligence have increased the number of seizures, protecting both the economy and public safety. Traders who once relied solely on congested coastal terminals now have functional alternatives that shorten delivery timelines.
From the waterfronts of Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, and from the dry ports of the hinterland to the bonded yards that support industrial clusters, the Customs footprint is visible at every stage of trade. These facilities make it possible for officers to carry out their duties efficiently, and through them the Service continues to strengthen revenue collection and uphold national economic security. Under CGC Adeniyi’s reform-minded leadership, the Nigeria Customs Service has shown that with coordination, transparency, and commitment, the nation’s non-oil revenue base can grow steadily and reliably.
For Nigerian traders, businesses, and ordinary citizens, the implication is simple. From the docks at Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, through inland dry ports and bonded yards, to final delivery in shops and factories across the country, the customs chain works, revenue flows, and trade gets done.
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, NEWSCOUNT
