CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi officially commissions the remodeled Tin Can Customs House in Apapa while the CAC, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni looks on.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR has said that the recent successful remodeling of the dilapidated Tin Can Island Customs House built over 40 years ago was due to a combination of quality and transformational leadership, teamwork, stakeholders’ engagement as well as dedication to duty.

Speaking when he officially commissioned the newly remodeled three-wing Tin Can Island Customs Command Complex in Lagos Tuesday, Adeniyi praised Customs Area Controller for the command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni for his transformational leadership and his management team for their team work and absolute dedication to duty, especially in terms of transforming the almost abandoned office infrastructure.

CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR (centre) flanked on the left by the CAC, Tin Can Customs, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni and on the right by the first substantive Comptroller Area Administrator of the Command, J. F Brigue, shortly after the official commissioning of the building.

He therefore urged other Area Controllers to emulate Nnadi’s initiative by engaging stakeholders to drive transformational and impactful projects.

The CGC, who could not contain his excitement disclosed that has nominated Comptroller Nnadi, for a Service Award for the 2024 fiscal year, adding that such recognition comes in light of Nnadi’s exceptional leadership, especially the successful remodeling of the over 40-year old Tin Can Island Command Customs office complex.

“I want to commend Comptroller Dera Nnadi and all his men for the initiative of getting this done. When he told me about it, I never knew it was such a gigantic project. This is an award-winning project,”

“The award for the Nigeria Customs Service in 2024, which was supposed to have taken place two weeks ago, will now take place in two days’ time, and as Comptroller General of Customs, we will not forget this project” Adeniyi said.

 “I made it very clear on assumption of duty that one of my policy thrusts would be collaboration. I have ever since discovered that there is strength in complementing what we do and what we can do for each other.

“All of us bring different attributes to the table, and in a modern organization, we tap into the strength of each and every one of us. We ensure that we reduce duplication and optimize the resources we can get for maximum objectives.

“We have seen this worked out in several ways in the last one year. Our revenue generation is nothing but the product of deliberate collaboration with all our stakeholders. When we get intelligence about things that threaten our security, it is a product of collaboration. I am very, very happy with our officers in all the commands because it is the same story I hear in Apapa, in PTML, in Airport, in Lekki; that we have created an environment that allows us to collaborate and work more effectively with other agencies of government.

“I am indeed very delighted about this. What we are seeing in Tin Can Island Command today is also a product of collaboration. Our stakeholders are now stepping forward to say they can help us improve the quality of our workplace. I am indeed very, very happy that what we have is a demonstration that collaboration pays.

“I acknowledge all of you, stakeholders, who have contributed to delivering this project. We are very happy with you and will continue to extend the frontiers of collaboration—not only in these kinds of spheres but also to deepen them in our operations to ensure that we deliver better service to our country.

“There are so many potentials for collaboration. Between us, Customs, and other agencies of government, the government is working on a single window to bring all of us into an automated platform that will allow regulatory oversight and operational generalization to be done in a very fast and efficient manner.

“To all other stakeholders; customs agents, terminal operators, shipping companies, all of us—the more we work together, the easier and more efficient we are going to be. So I, therefore, thank most sincerely all of you that have made this possible”, the CGC said.

He further emphasised the need for collaboration in modernising the service’s operations, insisting that the Tin Can Customs House project demonstrates the strength in partnerships within the trade supply chain.

Comptroller Nnadi, who also spoke at the well-attended commissioning ceremony, traced the historical significance of the renovation of the building since 1997 when the Tin Can Island Command was created, saying that no major modernization had been undertaken on the building ever since.

Nnadi, who took out time to celebrate other milestones of the Command in less than one year iincluding revenue collection said: “For decades, our officers have worked within this dilapidated and outdated infrastructure. Today, we witness a transformation that shows a future committed to service excellence.

“Tin Can Island Command achieved a revenue milestone in 2024, generating over ₦1.125 trillion for the first time in its history. This represents a significant increase from the ₦639.7 billion collected as at November 2023.

“This facility, though newly renovated, is still work in progress. By working together, we can sustain the high standards we have set for ourselves and ensure that Tin Can Island Port remains a symbol of excellence in customs administration

“This remarkable feat highlights the dedication of our officers and the collaborative efforts with stakeholders. It reaffirms our commitment to maximising revenue collection for national growth. We have also made tremendous progress in combating smuggling, with notable seizures of arms, unregulated pharmaceuticals, and other prohibited goods. These efforts underscore the command’s commitment to safeguard Nigeria’s economic and security interests.