Customs, Navy Deepen Strategic Partnership to Boost Maritime Security
In a renewed effort to bolster maritime security and streamline trade operations, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command and the Nigerian Navy have reiterated their commitment to deeper collaboration.
This renewed pledge was made during a courtesy visit by the Admiral Superintendent of the Naval Dockyard Limited, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shehu, to the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu.
Describing the Nigerian Navy as indispensable to maritime enforcement efforts, Comptroller Olomu emphasized that effective Customs operations on the waterways depend heavily on naval support.
“Customs Marine cannot function optimally without the backing of the Navy. It is essential that we continue to explore ways to strengthen this vital partnership,” Olomu stated.⁰
He attributed much of Apapa Command’s revenue success—contributing 40 to 50 percent of the NCS’s total revenue—to strong inter-agency cooperation, particularly with the Nigerian Navy.
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“No economy can thrive amidst insecurity. Our ability to curb smuggling and block revenue leakages has been greatly enhanced through our collaboration with the Navy and other security bodies,” he added.
Olomu also commended the Navy’s presence across Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, underscoring its strategic importance in safeguarding the nation’s trade corridors.
Rear Admiral Shehu, in his response, said the visit was intended to reinforce the longstanding relationship between the Naval Dockyard and the Apapa Customs Command, particularly in the areas of logistics and trade facilitation.
“I consider it important to engage with the leadership of Apapa Command. The Navy-Customs partnership, especially in the last decade, has significantly supported trade operations involving the Naval Dockyard,” he remarked
He called for more informal and result-oriented engagements between both agencies and stressed the need for expedited Customs clearance of critical components used in shipbuilding and maintenance activities at the dockyard.
By PRNigeria
