Leaving no stone unturned in the administration of Zone A of Nigeria Customs Service, the workaholic Customs Area Controller of Seme Border received the Zonal Coordinator of Zone 'A', ACG Charles Orbih to the command on Wednesday, 25th June 2025. According to report reaching this media through the Public Relations Officer of the Area Command CSC Isa Sulaiman the visit was aimed at assessing the Command’s operations, engaging with officers and aligning strategic goals across the Zone. Comptroller Oramalugo PhD while welcoming the Zonal Coordinator and his entourage, shows deep appreciation for the visit, describing it as a morale booster and a reaffirmation of the ACG’s commitment to operational excellence and oversight. He said, "..your presence today is a testament to your
commitment to strengthen the operations of the Zone, ensuring that the Commands and Units deliver their mandates as enshrined in the extant laws". He therfore presented a detailed overview of the Command’s mandates and achievements in revenue generation, anti-smuggling operations, trade facilitation and border security. He disclosed that between "January and May 2025, the Command
generated over ₦3.57 billion in revenue and facilitated export consignments of 220,300 metric tonnes, valued at ₦47 billion Free on Board (FOB). He also highlighted anti-smuggling efforts that resulted in seizures worth ₦889 million, including the interception of expired pharmaceuticals, marijuana and corrosive mercury, which were handed over to the relevant security agencies for further investigation." On challenges, Dr. Oramaligu was quick to point out several challenges facing the Command, "such as a Seven (7) year power outage, poor road infrastructure, non-functional scanning equipment, and border porosity. He emphasized ongoing advocacy for infrastructure upgrades, deployment of modern surveillance tools, and deeper collaboration with sister security agencies and local communities to address these concerns." ACG Orbih on his remarks, appluaded Comptroller Oramalugo and his officers on his initiatives such as the renovation of the COWA
building, upgrading of the sports complex, and the recent commissioning of the officers' mess. He described these projects as symbolic of the Command’s alignment with the vision of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, who has anchored the Service’s transformation agenda on Consolidation, Collaboration, and Innovation. The zonal coordinator also highlighted about the impressive contributions of the zone to national revenue, as that accounted for 79.8% of the NCS’s ₦1.3 trillion revenue collection in the first quarter of 2025. He also went through the modernization journey of the Service on the application of automation and other forms of technology viz-a-viz Advance Ruling System, Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme, and the recent tyrending B’Odogwu platform, the indigenous Customs Clearance system. The ACG further noted that "the Service’s operational strategy for 2025 is guided by Seven (7) strategic focus areas, including trade modernization, enhanced risk management, operationalization of the NCS University, strengthening International partnerships under the AfCFTA framework, implementation of a robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy and promotion of open governance through increased transparency framework and stakeholder engagement. According to him, these initiatives are already producing commendable outcomes." ACG Orbih charged Officers and Men of the Command to continue upholding professionalism, integrity, and innovation, stressing that the bar has been raised for Zone A. In his words, "as we move forward, the bar has been set higher for Zone 'A'. Our previous achievements, impressive as they are, should serve as stepping stones rather than resting points. "We must leverage our strategic importance to push beyond these accomplishments, innovating and adapting to meet the evolving demands of our nation's economy and security needs." In
conclusion, ACG Orbih could not hide the confidence he had for other units under the Zone more especially Seme command to not only sustain the tempo but surpass their current achievements in the service year.
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