Afrigather 
By Gidado Yushau Shuaib
Apapa—a reputation that has all the time resonated with me, not simply because the backdrop for movie and TV productions or Nigeria’s once-popular Gala Sausage Roll, however extra importantly as the location of certainly one of Nigeria’s most important port complexes. Nigeria, a nation wealthy in assets and potential, is dwelling to a number of essential ports, together with the Lagos Port Complicated, Tincan Island Port, Rivers Port, Onne Port, Delta Port, Calabar Port, and the not too long ago established Lekki Deep Sea Port. Nonetheless, many of those ports haven’t totally realised their potential, remaining underutilised regardless of their strategic significance.
Just lately, I traveled to Apapa Port, anticipating it to be like the opposite ports I had heard about. The journey, marred by a seven-hour delay in a significant Nigerian airline, was a quintessential expertise. Lagos is a metropolis notorious for its visitors snarls and chaotic environment. Regardless of my robust reluctance to remain within the mega metropolis, the need of the go to outweighed my reservations.
Upon arriving in Lagos that night, I drove straight to Apapa Port. What greeted me was past something I had anticipated. The sight of over 1,000,000 containers, towering like skyscrapers in an American metropolis, was overwhelming. The size of operations was daunting, and my first thought was certainly one of incredulity—how may such an unlimited logistics community be successfully managed?
Apapa, sometimes called the epicenter of Nigerian commerce, is the lifeblood of Lagos, the state with the very best inside income within the nation. It felt like a metropolis inside a metropolis, bustling with actions. Ships have been arriving, tankers have been busy ferrying gasoline, and the skyline was dotted with silos from main filling stations. The vitality was palpable, and for the primary time, I actually understood why Lagos is characterised by its notorious visitors jams. The size of financial exercise right here is each the trigger and the justification.
Probably the most placing features of my go to was the efficiency of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), particularly within the gentle of latest sector challenges. Regardless of a major decline in cargo throughput at seaports—estimated to have dropped by greater than 50 p.c—the NCS achieved a historic milestone, gathering a staggering N17.9 billion in income in a single day at Apapa Port. This exceptional achievement was revealed by Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the Customs Space Controller (CAC) of Apapa Command, throughout a press convention.
Comptroller Olomu attributed this success to the intensified efforts of Customs officers, who’ve been working tirelessly to plug income loopholes amid the downturn in cargo volumes. His dedication and efficient management have been evident, showcasing the optimistic affect of ongoing reforms throughout the Customs Service beneath the stewardship of Comptroller Common Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
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I’ve recognized CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi since childhood, significantly throughout his time with the Discussion board of Spokespersons of Safety and Response Companies when my father was the marketing consultant for the group that ensured interagency collaboration and stopped the prevalence of conflicting stories prior to now by safety and response businesses. His appointment by President Bola Tinubu to guide the NCS was a call I noticed as each well timed and strategic. Below his management, the Service has undergone a transformative interval, marked by a concentrate on effectivity, commerce facilitation, and enhanced income era.
Up to now, the Customs Service, like many different federal businesses, was typically criticised for its inefficiencies and the misconduct of its officers. Nonetheless, CG Adeniyi’s tenure has signaled the tip of that period, ushering in a renewed concentrate on service supply, transparency, and collaboration with stakeholders. His proactive method to disaster administration—navigating commerce embargoes, fostering group engagement, and addressing operational challenges—has earned him reward from varied sectors.
As a distinguished fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), CG Adeniyi has not solely demonstrated an understanding of the vital function that public relations and stakeholder engagement play in customs administration however has additionally set a benchmark for impactful management within the public sector. His efforts have repositioned the Customs Service as an important participant in Nigeria’s financial resurgence, making certain that the income collected will not be solely substantial however justifiable.
Apparently, upon my arrival at Apapa, I used to be greeted by a cluster of youths on bikes—an unusual sight in Lagos, a minimum of not in clusters. It seems, it’s a frequent sight in Apapa, the place younger folks go about their day by day enterprise on this method. Similar to its guardian metropolis Lagos, Apapa doesn’t sleep; even at midnight, containers transfer out and in of the port. It was a bustling sight to behold.
Apapa additionally homes a major Northern group, which was fully surprising. It’s dwelling to Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado, the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, a outstanding businessman who was topped Sarkin Fulani of Lagos and serves because the Chairman of the Affiliation of Fulani Chiefs in Southwest Nigeria. The Northern group is so lively that some components of Apapa felt like strolling the streets of Gadon Kaya in Kano. On the finish of our go to, we stopped by Ana Lura for a fast dinner and loved a northern delicacy.
My go to to Apapa was an eye-opener, offering a firsthand expertise of the immense scale of operations that maintain Nigeria’s financial system. It strengthened the significance of efficient management in navigating the complexities of such an unlimited and important sector. Apapa is not only one other port in Lagos; it’s a testomony to what might be achieved with the best management and dedication to excellence. The historic income assortment is not only a quantity—it’s a reflection of the potential inside Nigeria’s ports and the individuals who handle them.
Gidado Yushau Shuaib, a communications specialist, might be reached at [email protected].
