Bashir Adeniyi: Leadership That is Repositioning Nigeria Customs By Tahir Ahmad
In the annals of Nigeria’s public service history, few tenures have stirred as much transformation and optimism as that of Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Appointed in acting capacity on June 19, 2023, and confirmed substantively on October 19 of the same year, his leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service has redefined what it means to lead with vision, purpose, and unwavering commitment to institutional rebirth.
Almost two years on, what stands before the nation is not just a scorecard, but a compelling story of reforms with roots, reach, and results. CG Adeniyi did not arrive at the helm as an outsider.
He came prepared — a veteran steeped in the service’s ethos, with footprints as Public Relations Officer, Area Controller at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, and Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College.
He brought to the position a deep understanding of the complex tapestry of customs operations, and within months, began weaving a new narrative of possibility and performance.
His scorecard on revenue generation alone reads like a financial miracle. Against the tide of declining import volumes, the Service under his stewardship netted over ₦3.2 trillion in 2023, a 21.4 percent surge over 2022’s figures.
Yet, that was only the beginning. In 2024, collections soared to an unprecedented ₦6.1 trillion, shattering expectations and outperforming the national target by over 20 percent. This leap did not happen by chance.
It was the fruit of disciplined enforcement, smarter automation, and the unrelenting audit work of the Revenue Review Performance Recovery Team, all supervised under his watch.
But CG Adeniyi’s vision reached far beyond the treasury. He set in motion a silent technological revolution within Customs. The Trade Modernisation Project introduced digital clearance procedures that significantly reduced human interference and corruption.
The indigenous B’Odogwu platform debuted in the Eastern ports and processed over ₦31 billion in trade within its first few months, winning accolades from freight forwarders and importers alike.
He pushed the envelope further by rolling out the Authorised Economic Operators Programme, granting compliant businesses smoother and faster clearance windows. Over 160 companies had been certified, fostering a climate of trust between Customs and private enterprise.
In partnership with the World Customs Organization, the Time Release Study identified critical bottlenecks in cargo movement. The results were immediate. Port clearance times dropped by 32 percent in just one year.
Add to that the data-sharing collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps to stem the tide of smuggled vehicle registration, and one begins to grasp the breadth of CG Adeniyi’s modernization drive.
Yet, no customs service earns credibility without tightening its borders. Under his leadership, the Service dealt a series of hard blows to smugglers and criminals.
From intercepting 900 firearms and over 100,000 rounds of ammunition to seizing more than a million bottles of codeine syrup, the message was clear — Nigeria’s borders were no longer open playgrounds for illicit trade.
Wildlife trafficking syndicates also met their match as seizures of pangolin scales and elephant tusks worth over ₦5.9 billion disrupted international smuggling rings. Not even the lucrative illegal fuel corridors were spared.
Nearly three million litres of diverted petrol were confiscated, saving the economy billions of naira in subsidy losses.
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What made these achievements sustainable was the strategic deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles and AI monitoring tools at key border points like Seme and Illela, reducing illegal crossings by nearly 40 percent.
For the first time in years, enforcement was not only reactive but predictive, data-driven, and proactive.
His trade facilitation reforms are perhaps the most deeply felt by the business community. Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business score for customs jumped from 18.53 percent in 2023 to a full 100 percent in 2024 — catapulting the country to first place.
Single Goods Declarations for imports and exports surged, reflecting traders’ growing confidence. At the ports, new one-stop-shop models shortened clearance times dramatically.
And in a bold stroke that echoed across the continent, CG Adeniyi launched the Nigeria–East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, unlocking direct cargo links between Abuja and key African markets, and positioning Nigeria for real-time participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
All of this would have remained fragile had the human foundation been ignored. But the CG knew better. A workforce that delivers excellence must be valued and supported.
Under his Work-Life Balance Initiative, officers enjoyed structured leave cycles, wellness programs, and access to recreational centres. Over 5,000 officers were trained in modern customs operations, while over 3,200 earned promotions in 2024 alone — all on merit.
Living quarters and offices were upgraded across the federation, from new barracks in Ogun and Cross River to the refurbishment of 38 command centres. Legislatively, he oversaw the historic transition to the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, replacing the outdated 2004 Act.
With sharper penalties for smuggling, statutory support for full-scale automation, and increased operational independence, the new law has become a sturdy legal framework for Customs’ next phase.
So far, no fewer than 15 new policies had been birthed from this Act, strengthening areas like dispute resolution, e-commerce regulation, and revenue assurance.
Beyond figures and frameworks, CG Adeniyi’s leadership has been profoundly humane. Through the Customs Cares program, the Service extended a healing hand to the vulnerable.
Medical outreaches touched the lives of over 20,000 people in border communities. IDPs in the North East received food and relief items during crisis periods. Hundreds of students benefited from scholarships, school kits, and classroom refurbishments.
These were not corporate obligations — they were acts of conscience. Even the nation’s sporting dreams found room in his vision. The hosting of the 2025 African Women’s Volleyball Club Championship in Abuja was a landmark.
Nigeria’s volleyball teams, supported by Customs, stood tall among Africa’s best, while over 1,000 youth engaged nationwide through the Premier League. Customs officers themselves competed in inter-command tournaments, celebrating health, unity, and team spirit.
Events like the Customs Marathon and Wellness Walk brought officers and civilians together, breaking the invisible wall between uniformed service and the public.
Two years may seem a short window in governance, but under CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Nigeria Customs Service has undergone a full-circle transformation. He has infused the agency with purpose, precision, and humanity.
His reforms are not mere administrative tweaks; they are cultural resets. With courage, clarity, and competence, he has rebuilt public trust, reignited officer morale, and re-positioned the Service as a pillar of national security, economic growth, and regional trade integration.
The journey is far from over, but already, his name is etched in gold on the canvas of reform. In this story of revival, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has not just led Customs — he has inspired a new era.
