Where Borders Meet Nationhood: UI Lecture Examines Customs’ Role In Nigeria’s Future

By Victoria Isaac 

From his early days at Tin Can Island Port to his emergence as a leader on the global customs stage, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s career reflects the evolving responsibilities of customs administration in an increasingly interconnected world.

His professional journey formed a compelling backdrop to the third Distinguished Personality Lecture organised by the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Security Management (TECESM), University of Ibadan, on Oct. 20, 2026, where the relationship between revenue generation, national security and nationhood took centre stage.

The lecture, held at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, was titled “Why Customs Matters: Revenue, Security and Nationhood in a Borderless World.” It brought together academics, security officials, customs personnel and other stakeholders to examine how the Nigeria Customs Service can protect the country’s economic and security interests while facilitating legitimate trade.

Adeniyi, who became the substantive 31st Comptroller-General of Customs in October 2023, joined the Nigeria Customs Service in 1990 and commenced service at Tin Can Island Port in March 1991. Over the years, he has served in operational, economic research and planning, public relations, training and command leadership roles.

“A nation that cannot fund itself cannot govern itself.” 

His career has also extended beyond Nigeria. In July 2025, he became the first Nigerian elected Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation Council and was re-elected in 2026. He earned a PhD in Leadership and Security Studies from the Federal University of Lokoja in August 2025.

His experience across operational, administrative and international platforms provided the context for his examination of Customs as an institution whose responsibilities extend beyond collecting duties at the nation’s ports and borders.

Revenue Generation and the National Interest

Addressing the audience, Adeniyi examined the place of customs revenue in the country’s economic survival, arguing that the ability of a government to finance its responsibilities is closely connected to its capacity to govern effectively.

“A nation that cannot fund itself cannot govern itself,” he said.

The statement underscored the importance of revenue mobilisation to public administration, particularly in a country where government responsibilities span infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and other essential services.

Nigeria’s revenue structure, as discussed in the lecture, also highlights the wider implications of collections into the Federation Account. Under the current allocation formula cited in the presentation, the Federal Government receives 52.68 per cent, state governments 26.72 per cent and local governments 20.60 per cent.

“Pursue the target through compliance, data and facilitation, not through harassment at the ports, because a target met by choking trade would be a false victory.”

Customs revenue therefore has implications beyond the Service itself, contributing to the pool of funds available for the three tiers of government.

However, Adeniyi’s argument extended beyond the volume of money collected to the mechanisms through which revenue is generated. He identified challenges including false invoicing, revenue leakages and the abuse of import concessions, stressing the need for improved compliance and effective oversight.

Import concessions, which are intended to provide relief or incentives in specified circumstances, also require careful scrutiny to ensure that legitimate benefits do not become channels for avoidable revenue losses.

The lecture highlighted the scale of the challenge facing the Service in 2026, with a revenue target of ₦11.07 trillion. Meeting the target, Adeniyi indicated, would require more than intensified collection efforts; it would depend on compliance, effective use of data and the facilitation of legitimate business.

In a separate account of his remarks, he said the Service would “pursue the target through compliance, data and facilitation, not through harassment at the ports, because a target met by choking trade would be a false victory.”

The position reflects the delicate balance between generating government revenue and ensuring that legitimate traders are not subjected to unnecessary delays or burdens.

It also raises a broader question for customs administration: how can the Service strengthen revenue collection without undermining the trade and economic activity from which that revenue is generated?

Security Beyond the Border

While revenue generation remains a central responsibility, Adeniyi also drew attention to the Service’s role in preventing the movement of illicit goods, particularly firearms, counterfeit medicines, narcotics and trafficked wildlife.

His presentation illustrated how intelligence gathering, risk assessment and cooperation among security agencies can help identify suspicious consignments before prohibited items enter circulation.

One example was the seizure of 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition at a bonded terminal in Onne on June 21, 2024. The weapons and ammunition were discovered in a 40-foot container shipped from Türkiye and concealed among dolls, furniture and plumbing fittings.

The case demonstrated the importance of examining cargo beyond its declared contents and using intelligence to identify potential threats.

Adeniyi also highlighted the discovery of 399 pump-action rifles in a container discharged by the vessel MV Velika at Tin Can Island Port in July, after the consignment was flagged by the Service’s risk-management system. The incident illustrated the importance of technology and intelligence in identifying dangerous cargo within the volume of goods moving through the ports.

Another concern raised was the circulation of counterfeit medicines. The Service seized counterfeit medicines valued at more than ₦9.2 billion in July 2025, underscoring the potential consequences of illicit trade for public health and consumer safety.

“Closure is a blunt instrument, while intelligence, data and joint patrols with our neighbours are sharper ones.” 

In addition, Adeniyi referenced the handover of 1,599 firearms seized between 2018 and 2024 to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in February 2025.

These examples placed customs enforcement within the wider national security framework, demonstrating how the movement of goods across borders can have consequences for communities far removed from ports and border posts.

For a country confronting armed violence, kidnapping and other security threats, preventing illicit weapons from entering circulation remains an important part of the broader response. Such seizures do not, by themselves, establish a connection between particular consignments and specific criminal incidents, but they demonstrate the risks posed by the illegal movement of firearms.

Adeniyi’s argument was that effective border management requires a combination of vigilance, intelligence, technology and inter-agency cooperation.

“Closure is a blunt instrument, while intelligence, data and joint patrols with our neighbours are sharper ones,” he said.

The observation reflects the limitations of relying exclusively on border closures to combat smuggling. Although restrictions may disrupt some illegal activities, sustained enforcement requires measures capable of identifying networks, monitoring movements and responding to changing methods of concealment.

Adeniyi also referred to Nigeria’s border closure between August 2019 and December 2020, noting that although the policy curbed some smuggling activities, it did not eliminate the networks involved. Research cited in the presentation indicated that such networks reorganised their operations rather than disappearing entirely.

The implication is that border security cannot be measured solely by the restrictions imposed. It must also be assessed by the effectiveness of the intelligence systems, enforcement strategies and regional partnerships used to address illicit activities.

As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, preventing the illegal movement of firearms is particularly important. Nevertheless, the broader challenge extends beyond election periods: customs enforcement must remain capable of responding to persistent security threats while supporting lawful economic activity.

The Meaning of Nationhood in a Connected World

The lecture’s emphasis on nationhood brought the economic and security dimensions of customs administration together.

Although global trade, digital communication and cross-border supply chains have made countries more interconnected, this does not mean national borders have lost their significance. Rather, the growing movement of goods, capital and people has made effective border governance more complex.

For Nigeria, the challenge is to protect national interests without treating every movement across the border as a threat.

The Nigeria Customs Service consequently occupies a position between two important objectives: facilitating legitimate trade and preventing the movement of prohibited or dangerous goods. Its effectiveness depends on its ability to pursue both responsibilities without allowing one to undermine the other.

This was also the context for Adeniyi’s position that border management should combine enforcement with service. As he put it, “A border that only punishes will be evaded; a border that also serves will be used.”

The statement captures the need for an approach that encourages compliance while maintaining firm action against violations. When traders can understand and comply with regulations, the Service can strengthen legitimate trade without abandoning its enforcement responsibilities.

The lecture therefore presented Customs not simply as a revenue-generating agency but as an institution whose decisions can affect economic confidence, public safety and the country’s ability to protect its sovereignty.

University of Ibadan Emphasises the Security Dimension

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, described Adeniyi’s career as an example of the relationship between revenue generation, national security and institutional transformation.

He attributed improvements in customs administration under Adeniyi’s leadership to reforms, stronger compliance and the use of digital platforms.

Adebowale also emphasised that customs administration goes beyond collecting revenue, describing it as part of the practical exercise of national sovereignty.

The interception of illicit weapons and the seizure of counterfeit goods, he noted, demonstrate the responsibility of state institutions to protect the economy and citizens.

He urged students and scholars involved in security governance to understand the networks behind criminal activities, emerging threats and the relationship between security institutions and national identity.

The Vice-Chancellor’s remarks reinforced the lecture’s wider significance for the university community: security management requires an understanding of the economic, institutional and social factors that influence national stability.

It also placed the discussion within the broader responsibility of universities to generate knowledge that can inform public policy and improve the work of institutions responsible for national security.

TECESM Deepens Research and Security Management

Welcoming participants, the Director of TECESM, Professor Benjamin A. Aluko, explained that the Distinguished Personality Lecture was part of the Centre’s effort to strengthen academic engagement with real-world security challenges.

He described the initiative as “one of the strategies to strengthen the accomplishment of the mandate of our Centre in particular and to deepen town and gown collaboration towards solving security-related issues in our society in general.”

Aluko said the lecture was expected to provide “raw materials and evidence-based data that will drive robust intellectual engagement in security management and peace studies in particular and in social sciences in general.”

The Centre, established with support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), seeks to advance research, knowledge and training in security management, early warning systems and sustainable peace.

Its academic programmes include a master’s degree in Security Management, which commenced in the 2024/2025 academic session. The programme has attracted about 40 students, largely drawn from security agencies, while a doctoral programme is expected to admit its first cohort in the next academic session.

Aluko also disclosed that the Centre was working with relevant university units to develop a specialised curriculum for senior Customs officers. The proposed training draws on disciplines including economics, accounting, sociology, business administration and psychology, reflecting the range of skills required for contemporary customs administration.

He appealed to Adeniyi to support the provision of a 30-seater bus for students’ field research and a dedicated research and training facility to be named the Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Research and Training Hub.

The requests highlighted the practical requirements of developing a research-driven security programme, particularly one that seeks to connect classroom instruction with field experience and institutional practice.

Publications, Recognition and Institutional Collaboration

The event also featured the presentation of Perspectives on Security Management in Nigeria, a 54-chapter book edited by Professor Isaac Olawale Albert, Professor Benjamin Adeniran Aluko and Ambassador Lieutenant Tukur Yusufu Buratai.

Participants were also introduced to Ibadan Security Review, Volume 1, Number 1, published in May 2026 and containing 10 chapters.

The publications added an academic dimension to the gathering, providing platforms for research and discussion on security management and related issues in Nigeria.

Adeniyi was also invested as a Fellow of TECESM in recognition of his professional contributions. The honour placed his career within the Centre’s wider effort to strengthen collaboration between academic institutions and practitioners working in security-related fields.

The lecture was chaired by Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, who was the Special Guest of Honour, was represented by Dr Suleiman Zangina, Director of Research and Development/Centres of Excellence Development.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland was represented by Engr. Senior Chief Taiwo Anthony Adebayo Oyekan, the Maye Balogun of Ibadanland.

Other dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Peter Olabamidele Olapegba; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships), Professor Sunmisola Oluwatoyin Akintola; Registrar Oke Saliu; and University Librarian, Professor Mercy Iroaganachi.

Also present were the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga; Assistant Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Sanda Ajibola; and the Acting Zonal Director of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Hajia Hauw Garba Ringim, alongside Customs Area Controllers, other security officials and members of the academic community.

The programme included an interactive question-and-answer session, providing participants an opportunity to engage with the issues raised during the lecture.

Beyond Collection and Enforcement

The discussions at Trenchard Hall returned to a central challenge facing customs administrations in a world where trade networks and security threats increasingly cross national boundaries.

Revenue targets remain important, but the manner in which they are pursued matters. Border enforcement is essential, but its effectiveness depends on intelligence, coordination and the ability to distinguish legitimate commerce from illicit activity. Academic research is valuable, but its impact is strengthened when institutions can translate evidence into policy and practice.

Adeniyi’s career, from his early service at Tin Can Island Port to his leadership at the international level, provided a practical lens through which these responsibilities could be examined.

For TECESM, the lecture also reinforced the importance of sustained engagement among universities, government institutions and security practitioners in developing responses to Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

Ultimately, the question raised by the gathering was not simply what Customs collects or what it prevents from crossing the border. It was how the Service can help Nigeria finance its public responsibilities, protect its people and economy, and preserve its national interests while remaining open to legitimate trade.

That is where border management meets nationhood—and where the future effectiveness of customs administration will continue to matter.