The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has shut down three bonded terminals due to non-compliance to trade rules.
This is just as it has revived cargo movement by rail, aiming to decongest the port and reduce pressure on Apapa roads.
The Customs Area Comptroller, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, disclosed that the command has opened talks with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other stakeholders to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for rail cargo movement.
The command achieved a total collection of N1.378 trillion in the first half of 2025, representing a 35 per cent increase from the same period in 2024. The Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, has gone live in the Apapa Command, facilitating trade and ensuring swift clearance of cargo.
It also seized 27 containers of smuggled goods, including unregistered pharmaceuticals, used clothing, expired margarine, and codeine syrup, with a duty-paid value of N9.267 billion. One of the three bonded terminals sealed is already facing prosecution in court.
Olomu affirmed the command’s commitment to sanitising the port environment and maintaining strict adherence to customs regulations. He emphasised that the command will not compromise the health, well-being, and safety of Nigerians on the altar of trade facilitation.