Since his winning the election and assuming office as the President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria Armed Forces, he has left no one in doubt as to his resolve to tenaciously explore means of alleviating the economic hardship that majority of Nigerians are battling with.
Among the strategic ministries, departments and agencies that President Tinubu will leverage on to deliver his economic promises, the Nigeria Customs Service ranks among the most critical, as international trade, border management, security and protection of the environment are key to realizing his agenda.
It seemed that President Tinubu has good knowledge of all these that he desired a truly professional Customs Service, and appointed a thoroughbred, highly cerebral and appropriate customs officer to head the Nigeria Customs Service.No wonder the officers and men of the Service and critical stakeholders were full of commendation for the President, for appointing the then Deputy Comptroller-General, Adewale Bashiru Adeniyi MFR, the Acting Comptroller-General on June 19, 2023.
He was conferred with a National Honour of the Member of the Order of Federal Republic by former President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2022 in recognition of his sterling performance as a customs officer. As President Tinubu desperately needs extra revenue to tackle the myriad of economic challenges currently facing the country, Adeniyi in his patriotic zeal, introduced a series of reforms aimed at plugging revenue leakages, streamlining the customs clearance process and addressing the gaps that had existed in customs operations.The immediate setting up of a Revenue Review Performance Recovery Team
Interactions with the international community – WCO, JICA, Japan Customs among others on the implementation of the Customs Laboratory, adoption of geospatial, conduct of a Time Release Study to mention a few. The commencement of the integration process for Customs Basic and intermediary institutions into the administrative framework of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Re-energisation of the activities of the National Trade Facilitation Committee through engagements and the hosting of a retreat to chat the way forward on Trade Facilitation in Nigeria. These initiatives and many others, so far have in no small measure resulted in the huge increase in monthly revenue generation, surge in the value of illegal goods and drugs seized, strengthening of interagency and stakeholders collaboration, deployment of cutting edge technology to improve enforcement capabilities, reduction in average clearance time, increased operational efficiency and many other beneficial results.