From Force To Foresight: Adeniyi’s Drive To Transform Customs Enforcement

By Victoria Isaac

There is wisdom in the saying that a good hunter does not rely solely on the strength of his legs but also on the sharpness of his eyes. In border management, where illicit trade networks evolve, threats cross geographical boundaries, and legitimate commerce demands speed, physical presence alone cannot guarantee effective enforcement. The ability to anticipate danger, interpret intelligence and deploy technology has become just as critical as the ability to stop a prohibited consignment.

For the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the future of Customs enforcement lies in shifting from simply reacting to threats to becoming better equipped to anticipate them. Through digitalisation, data-driven risk assessment and smarter border management, Adeniyi is pushing an approach that seeks to strengthen national security while making legitimate trade more efficient. This challenge places the Service at the intersection of enforcement, technology and economic development.

The task, however, is not simply to replace manual processes with digital platforms. It is to rethink how the Service identifies threats, facilitates legitimate commerce, protects government revenue and deploys its limited resources in a world where the movement of goods is increasingly complex.

This was a central thread in Adeniyi’s lecture, titled “Why Customs Matters: Revenue, Security and Nationhood in a Borderless World,” delivered at the third Distinguished Personality Lecture organised by the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Security Management (TECESM), University of Ibadan. His subsequent interaction with journalists offered further insight into the thinking behind the reforms, particularly the growing role of technology in addressing the practical limits of conventional border enforcement.

Beyond The Physical Border

A border may be a geographical line on a map, but the risks associated with it are rarely confined to a fixed location. Illicit goods can move through complex supply chains, concealment methods can change, and criminal networks can adjust their operations when enforcement strategies become predictable.

For Customs, this means that effective control requires more than the physical deployment of officers. It requires the capacity to gather intelligence, interpret patterns and identify consignments that deserve closer scrutiny.

Adeniyi captured this changing approach in a statement that points to the evolving demands of the profession.

“The officer of the future will spend less time opening boxes and more time reading patterns,” he said.

The statement reflects a shift towards risk-based enforcement, in which information helps officers determine where inspections are most necessary instead of treating every consignment in the same way. Such an approach can direct attention towards suspicious shipments while reducing unnecessary interventions in legitimate trade.

It also underscores the importance of technology in a country whose borders cannot realistically be monitored by physically stationing officers at every point.

Speaking with newsmen, Adeniyi explained that it was practically impossible for Customs to line every border with personnel. The alternative, he indicated, lies partly in bringing technology into border management to strengthen surveillance, improve decision-making and support more effective operations.

The implication is significant. When officers cannot be everywhere, the quality of the intelligence guiding their deployment becomes crucial.

Yet technology alone does not guarantee effective enforcement. Its value depends on the quality of the information available, the ability of officers to interpret it and the willingness of institutions to adapt their procedures to the realities of modern trade.

B’Odogwu and The Evolution of Customs Operations

One of the clearest illustrations of this transition is B’Odogwu, the digital platform introduced by the Service to support its cargo processing operations.

For Adeniyi, the platform should not be understood as a one-off technological intervention but as part of a continuing process of institutional change.

Speaking with journalists after the lecture, Adeniyi said, “B’Odogwu is not an event, it’s a process.”

He added, “So the right word is evolution.”

The remarks acknowledge that digital transformation involves more than installing a new system. It requires changes in established practices, adjustments by stakeholders and the gradual development of confidence in new procedures.

According to Adeniyi, the introduction of B’Odogwu initially attracted complaints, with some stakeholders concerned about the changes it would bring and how the platform would address existing excesses. He said acceptance was beginning to grow as users became more familiar with the system.

He identified digitalisation, paperless trade, document security and the protection of government revenue among the benefits of the platform.

The figures Adeniyi presented offered an early indication of the platform’s reported performance. At the Port and Terminal Multi Services Limited (PTML) Command, B’Odogwu processed about 16,000 entries and generated approximately ₦120 billion in revenue during its first three months of operation, according to the Comptroller-General. He also reported that the platform recorded no downtime during that period.

These figures, as presented by Adeniyi, provide a measure of the platform’s early activity. Its broader value, however, will depend on sustained performance, the experience of traders and the extent to which the system contributes to more efficient and transparent cargo processing.

The next phase, he explained, would involve full integration of B’Odogwu into the National Single Window, a platform intended to bring trade-related processes together and reduce the need for multiple submissions of import and export documentation.

According to Adeniyi’s presentation, the National Single Window went live on March 27, 2026. He said its implementation was being phased, with import permits, manifests and risk management among the processes being integrated, while exports and full declarations formed part of the planned expansion.

If fully implemented as intended, the integration would allow relevant trade documents to be submitted through a single process, reducing duplication and helping agencies involved in international trade coordinate their activities more efficiently.

The success of the initiative will ultimately depend on how well the participating agencies and stakeholders work together, as well as the system’s ability to deliver the efficiency it promises.

When Waiting Becomes The Real Delay

The argument for reform becomes clearer when viewed against the time it takes to clear cargo at the ports.

In his lecture, Adeniyi cited a Time Release Study conducted at Tin Can Island Port, which found that the average cargo release time was nearly five days. While physical inspection took hours, more than 90 per cent of the total elapsed time was spent waiting.

The finding draws attention to a distinction that is easily overlooked in discussions about port congestion. The time required to inspect cargo is not necessarily the main source of delay. Waiting within the wider clearance process can account for a much larger share.

For importers, exporters and other businesses, prolonged clearance can affect costs, planning and the timely movement of goods. For the country, avoidable delays can undermine the competitiveness that trade facilitation reforms are meant to improve.

Adeniyi outlined an ambition to reduce cargo release time to two days and have 99 per cent of cargo processed through scanning rather than physical examination. These are targets, not results that should be mistaken for achievements already realised.

The proposed changes point towards a model in which technology and risk assessment help Customs distinguish between consignments that require detailed physical examination and those that can be processed through less disruptive procedures.

As Adeniyi said in his lecture, “Facilitation and control are not opposites; they are partners.”

The statement captures a central challenge for Customs administration. Effective enforcement must protect the country from prohibited goods, revenue leakages and other threats without creating unnecessary barriers for legitimate businesses.

The balance is not always easy to achieve. Excessive controls can delay compliant traders, while weak risk assessment can allow dangerous or prohibited goods to pass undetected. The objective, therefore, is not to choose between security and efficiency but to improve the systems that make both possible.

Reform Must Be Measured, Not Merely Announced

A technology-driven Customs Service also requires a willingness to examine whether its reforms are delivering the intended results.

Adeniyi stated in his lecture that, “A reform that is never evaluated cannot be improved.”

The principle has implications for the Service’s digital platforms, cargo clearance procedures and wider enforcement strategy. Introducing a new system is only one stage of reform. Its performance must also be assessed against measurable outcomes, including processing times, compliance, revenue protection and the experience of legitimate traders.

The Comptroller-General also discussed the Authorised Economic Operator programme, advance rulings, post-clearance audits and data-driven risk management as elements of a modern Customs administration.

These measures can support a more differentiated approach to compliance. Businesses that meet established requirements can benefit from more predictable procedures, while risk assessment and post-clearance checks can help Customs focus its attention where concerns arise.

The approach also creates room for greater accountability. If a reform is intended to reduce delays, its impact should be assessed through reliable clearance data. If a platform is expected to improve revenue protection, its contribution should be measured against credible records. If a new process is intended to make trade easier, the experience of businesses using it should form part of the evaluation.

Without such scrutiny, the introduction of technology risks becoming an end in itself rather than a means of improving public service.

Protecting Revenue Without Choking Trade

Although the lecture’s digitalisation agenda points towards more efficient operations, Adeniyi also made clear that revenue collection remains a central responsibility of the Service.

He described Customs revenue as an important part of the resources available to government for funding public expenditure and providing infrastructure. The distribution of Federation Account revenue, as outlined in his presentation, illustrates why the efficiency of collection matters beyond the ports.

For the 2026 fiscal year, the Service was working towards a revenue target of ₦11.07 trillion, which Adeniyi described as demanding.

Meeting such a target requires more than increasing enforcement activity. It also requires reducing revenue leakages, improving compliance, detecting false invoicing and examining the use of import concessions.

Adeniyi cited approximately ₦1.68 trillion in concessions in 2024 and called attention to the need to review the waiver regime alongside the implementation of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

The figures and issues he raised point to a broader policy question: how can government protect legitimate concessions while ensuring that exemptions do not become channels for revenue loss?

Technology can contribute by improving access to information, identifying discrepancies and strengthening risk assessment. However, the effectiveness of these measures also depends on sound policy, consistent implementation and the integrity of the officers and stakeholders involved.

Revenue collection, in this context, must be pursued in a way that supports the economy rather than unnecessarily obstructing it. A system that collects revenue but creates avoidable delays for legitimate commerce risks undermining some of the economic activity it is meant to support.

The Border Beyond Revenue

The need for smarter enforcement extends beyond the movement of commercial goods.

Adeniyi’s lecture addressed the role of Customs in preventing the movement of firearms, counterfeit medicines, illicit drugs and wildlife products. He also connected the Service’s environmental responsibilities to the need to regulate the movement of protected flora and fauna.

These responsibilities demonstrate why risk assessment and intelligence are relevant to more than revenue collection. The ability to identify suspicious consignments can also help protect public safety, prevent illicit trafficking and support environmental sustainability.

In the interview, Adeniyi explained that when Customs seizes prohibited goods or arms, its objective is to protect national security. When it regulates the export of wildlife and other protected resources, it is also contributing to environmental sustainability. When it insists on the payment of appropriate duties, it is helping generate revenue for public expenditure.

His explanation reinforces the point that the Service’s responsibilities cannot be reduced to the collection of import duties or the physical interception of prohibited goods.

The modern Customs officer must therefore operate within a system that connects enforcement with intelligence, technology, inter-agency cooperation and an understanding of the wider consequences of cross-border trade.

Bridging The Gap Between Research and Practice Adeniyi’s decision to address an academic audience at the University of Ibadan also reflected his interest in bringing practitioners and scholars closer together.

In his interview, he explained that one reason for accepting the invitation was the need to narrow the gap between the town and the gown, referring to the relationship between practical experience and academic knowledge.

He also said that Customs’ responsibilities were often taken for granted or insufficiently understood, particularly beyond its more visible role in revenue collection.

The lecture offered an opportunity to explain how border management intersects with security, trade, environmental protection and the wider functioning of the economy.

This engagement has practical significance. Academic institutions can contribute research methods, independent evaluation and specialised knowledge, while Customs can provide operational experience and access to relevant data under appropriate confidentiality safeguards.

In his lecture, Adeniyi proposed areas of collaboration with TECESM and the University of Ibadan, including research into border economies, fellowships for data and analytics researchers, an observatory on illicit trade, postgraduate curriculum development and independent evaluation of Customs reforms.

Such collaboration could help deepen understanding of why traders use unofficial routes, how compliance costs affect border communities and which interventions produce measurable improvements in enforcement and trade facilitation.

The value of the partnership would depend on whether the proposals translate into sustained research, practical recommendations and independent assessments capable of informing policy.

For a Service pursuing technological and operational change, the ability to learn from evidence is as important as the ability to deploy new systems.

The Measure of A Smarter Customs Service

The transformation Adeniyi described ultimately rests on a demanding proposition: the effectiveness of Customs should not be measured only by the number of seizures made, the officers deployed or the revenue collected.

Those measures remain important, but they do not tell the whole story. A modern Customs administration must also demonstrate that it can identify threats more accurately, protect government revenue, reduce avoidable delays, support legitimate trade and adapt its methods as illicit networks change.

The challenge is to ensure that technology strengthens accountability rather than merely digitising existing procedures. It is also to make certain that the pursuit of efficiency does not weaken enforcement, and that the exercise of enforcement does not become an unnecessary obstacle to legitimate economic activity.

Adeniyi’s vision places intelligence, digitalisation and institutional learning at the centre of that effort. B’Odogwu, the National Single Window and data-driven risk assessment represent important parts of the direction he outlined, while the targets he presented provide benchmarks against which progress can be assessed.

The real test will be the extent to which these initiatives deliver measurable improvements for the Service, businesses and the wider public.

After all, a watchful officer can stop a suspicious consignment, but a well-informed system can help determine which consignment deserves attention in the first place. For a country seeking to protect its borders while remaining connected to global commerce, that distinction may prove decisive.

The ultimate test of Adeniyi’s vision, therefore, will be whether the reforms deliver measurable improvements in border security, revenue protection and the facilitation of legitimate trade.