40 years after, Customs CG commissions renovated Tin Can Island Port Command administrative building

The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniiyi on Tuesday commissioned the renovated administative building of the Tin Can Island Port command of the Nigeria Customs Service.

This is coming 40 years after the construction of the command built in 1977.

Speaking at the commissioning of the office complex and two newly built facilities in Lagos on Tuesday, the Customs boss described the renovated building as an award-winning project.

He said, “We will dedicate this to the glory of God and for the provision of better, more optimal service to the federal government of Nigeria. I want to commend Controller Dera Nnadi and all his men for the initiative of getting this done.

“When he told me about it, I never knew that it was such a gigantic project. I just thought that it was something that they are just going to put some brushes here. But from what I have seen, from the video I’ve seen, this is an award-winning project.

“The awards 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 Controller General of Customs, we will not forget this project.”

Adeniiyi also emphasized the importance of collaboration between Customs and other government agencies as well as freight forwarders, terminal operators and shipping companies, noting that the renovated facility is a product of collaboration between the NCS and its stakeholders.

“On assumption of duty, one of my policy thrust is in collaboration. I have discovered that there is strength in comprehending what we do and what we can do for each other. All of us, we bring different traits, different attributes to the table.

“And what we do in modern organization is to tap into the strength of each and every one of us. We make sure that we reduce duplication and we optimize the resources we can get for maximum objective. We have seen this worked out in several ways in the last one year.

“Our revenue generation is nothing but the product of a deliberate collaboration that we have with all our stakeholders. When we get intelligence about things that threaten our security, it’s a product of collaboration. And I’m very happy that our officers in all commands is the same story appearing 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.

“What we are seeing today is also the product of collaboration. Our stakeholders are now stepping forward to say we can help you improve the quality of your workplace.

“We will continue to extend the frontiers of collaboration, not only in this kind of spheres, but also to deepen them in our operations to ensure that we deliver better service to our countrycountry, ” he said.

The Comptroller General also highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to implement a single window system, which aims to brings all stakeholders into an automated platform that will allow regulatory oversight and enhance operational efficiency.

On his part, Controller Tincan port command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi said the renovation marks a significant milestone in the history of the Command.

Nnadi said the renovation goes beyond mere aesthetics or upgrading physical infrastructure; but a clear statement of intent that reinforces the CGC’s policy focus on Collaboration, Consolidation, and Innovation.

“As we celebrate the unveiling of this renovated facility, we must recognize the historical context of this transformation. Since the inception of this Command in 1977, no major renovation has been undertaken to update and modernize the office complex. For decades, our officers have worked diligently within the confines of outdated infrastructure, and today, we witness a transformation that will no longer be just a reflection of the past, but a symbol of the future – a future that is modern, efficient, and committed to service excellence.

“It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to improving working conditions, enhancing operational efficiency, and providing a conducive environment for our officers and stakeholders alike. A well-maintained office complex ensures that we continue to provide exceptional service and achieve greater results in our core functions of revenue generation and trade facilitation,,” he said.

Apart from the infrastructural upgrade, Nnadi also disclosed that the Command made remarkable strides in revenue generation with the collection of N1.1 trillion between January and November 2024 as against N639billion collected in the corresponding period of 2023.

Nnadi congratulated the officers of the Command for their commitment to the success of the revenue collected, the seizures made, and the renovation of the command.

Highpoint of the event was the celebration of 96 year- old first Substantive Area Administrator of the Command, Comptroller James Brigue (Rtd) who led the command between 1982 and 1984.