FIC Report (Lagos State) – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has achieved its highest-ever single-day revenue collection, generating ₦28.102 billion in 24 hours as reforms, tighter compliance and technology-driven processes continue to reshape operations at the nation’s busiest port command.
The Command collected exactly ₦28,102,000,914.61 on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, smashing its previous single-day record of ₦20.1 billion established in September 2025.
The latest performance represents an increase of about ₦8 billion over the previous record and comes barely three weeks after the Command posted an unprecedented ₦323 billion monthly revenue collection for July 2026.
The back-to-back revenue milestones are emerging as a strong indication of improved revenue mobilisation at Apapa Port, with the Command attributing the latest feat to sustained reforms, stronger compliance, intelligence-led interventions, improved trade facilitation and increased efficiency in digital Customs processes.
Announcing the achievement, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the significance of the record went beyond the size of the revenue collected, stressing that Customs revenue ultimately contributes to government’s capacity to fund critical services. “Revenue generated by the Service forms part of government resources used to fund public priorities, including infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and other services that ultimately impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians”, Oshoba said.
He dedicated the achievement to the government and people of Nigeria and commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for providing institutional backing for modernisation, automation and reforms across the Service.
The CAC also credited the Command’s compliant importers, exporters, licensed Customs agents and other stakeholders for their cooperation, while acknowledging members of the public whose actionable intelligence had assisted Customs operations.
Oshoba said the latest record demonstrated the importance of compliance to both Customs revenue and the wider economy. “Every compliant transaction contributes to national development, he said, adding that a stronger revenue base gives government greater capacity to respond to citizens’ needs and create an environment where businesses can thrive.
Revenue Must Not Come at the Expense of Trade
But for Oshoba, the record collection is not a reason for the Command to relax. He immediately challenged officers and men to see the new milestone as a greater responsibility, rather than an excuse for complacency, insisting that the pursuit of revenue must continue alongside efficient trade facilitation and professional service delivery.
He directed personnel to maintain transparency, professionalism and respect for legitimate stakeholders, while ensuring that Customs procedures do not unnecessarily obstruct lawful commercial activities.
The CAC further called for legitimate disputes involving traders and other stakeholders to be resolved promptly, stressing that efficient dispute resolution was essential to maintaining confidence in the port and supporting the ease of doing business.
The development is particularly significant for Apapa, which handles a substantial volume of Nigeria’s maritime trade and remains a critical source of Customs revenue.
With the Command now having broken its own daily collection record while also delivering a record monthly performance, the emphasis is shifting from the celebration of revenue milestones to the challenge of sustaining the momentum without compromising trade facilitation or stakeholder confidence.
The statement announcing the latest achievement was signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Isah Sulaiman, on behalf of the CAC.
The Apapa Area Command said it would continue to build on the performance through enhanced revenue mobilisation, digitalisation, intelligence-driven enforcement, trade facilitation, professionalism and stronger collaboration with stakeholders.
For the Command, the ₦28.1 billion single-day collection is therefore more than a revenue milestone; it is being presented as a test of whether improved compliance, technology and institutional reforms can deliver sustained revenue growth while keeping legitimate trade moving efficiently through Nigeria’s premier port.
Sourced and Reported by:
IYEDEH Onowouzou David
CIO&PRO
20/08)2026
