By Monireoluwa Lucas

The Federal Government has directed the transfer of the Inland Dry Port (IDP) functions of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as part of ongoing reforms in the nation’s maritime sector.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, announced the directive while disclosing plans for the transition of the NSC into the newly established Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA).

Oyetola said the changes were aimed at ensuring a clear separation between port economic regulation, infrastructure development and port operations.

According to him, a Ministerial Committee has been constituted to oversee the transition of the NSC into NPERA following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act, 2026.

The minister described the new legislation as a landmark reform that would establish a substantive statutory economic regulator for Nigeria’s port sector after about two decades of efforts to achieve such a framework.

The NSC has served as the country’s interim port economic regulator since 2014.

Under the new arrangement, NPERA will be responsible for key economic regulatory functions, including the regulation of tariffs and charges, promotion of competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and protection of port users.

Oyetola said the separation of regulatory and operational responsibilities was necessary to strengthen confidence in the sector and prevent actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

He said an economic regulator must be able to operate as an impartial referee and should not simultaneously perform functions that could compromise that role.

The minister said the government’s objective was to ensure that agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy operated within clearly defined mandates.

This, he said, would eliminate overlapping responsibilities, improve transparency and provide a more predictable business environment for port users, investors, terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders.

On the transfer of the IDP functions, Oyetola said moving the responsibility to the NPA would strengthen the development and integration of inland dry ports into Nigeria’s wider port infrastructure and operational network.

He said the NPA was better positioned to promote the facilities as part of an integrated national port system.

The minister said the emergence of NPERA marked a new phase in the governance of Nigeria’s port sector, assuring that the government would work to ensure a smooth transition.

By Oluwayanmife Lucas

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, has handed over narcotic drugs and pharmaceutical products worth N3.95 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for investigation and prosecution.

The seized items, intercepted during anti-smuggling operations along border corridors, highways and other strategic locations within the zone, included 3,116.9kg of synthetic strain of cannabis sativa contained in 5,669 parcels and 19 sacks.

Also seized were different forms of cannabis, including 3.45kg of grinded cannabis (Skunk), 1kg and 0.35kg of granulated cannabis, as well as 26.1kg of cannabis in 49 wraps.

Customs also intercepted a wrap of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg and 24 packets of Backwoods Russian Cream cigars.

The Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, who disclosed this during the formal handover, said the seizures were part of sustained operations against drug trafficking syndicates and other smuggling networks operating within the zone.

He said three suspects arrested in connection with the seizures would also be handed over to the NDLEA alongside the narcotics.

Other controlled substances handed over included 1,754 packs and 6,948 sachets of 225mg and 100mg Tramadol tablets, 1,200 Hypnox tablets and 97 bottles of Codeine syrup.

Aliyu said the seizure of the drugs was necessary because the illegal movement of controlled substances posed a threat to public health and national security.

He said the Customs Service would continue to work with the NDLEA to disrupt the movement of narcotics and other illicit goods through the country’s borders.

“The formal transfer of these items to the NDLEA will enable the agency to conduct the appropriate forensic, investigative and prosecutorial processes in accordance with the law,” he said.

In a separate seizure, Customs intercepted four cylinders of high-grade mercury, each weighing 34.5kg, allegedly intended for use in illegal gold mining.

Aliyu said the mercury, which has environmental and health implications, would be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for further action.

He said the seizures demonstrated the need for continued cooperation among security and regulatory agencies, particularly through intelligence sharing, joint operations and prompt transfer of seized items to agencies with the statutory mandate to handle them.

The Customs chief said the unit would continue to deploy intelligence-driven operations and surveillance to disrupt smuggling networks while facilitating legitimate trade.

He added that the service would maintain its enforcement against narcotics trafficking, environmental crimes and the movement of prohibited and improperly regulated goods.

• Says Openness to Oversight, Merit-Based Promotion Underscore Modernisation Drive

By Joseph Lucas

As Nigeria’s trade corridors continue to expand in volume and complexity, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its ongoing digital transformation agenda is steadily closing the gaps that have historically made revenue leakage and procedural abuse possible, even as the Service faces renewed public scrutiny over its enforcement and administrative practices.

The Service’s position was outlined this week in response to questions raised in an investigative report published by SaharaReporters on August 7, 2026, which examined enforcement activity along several border corridors in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States and raised questions about vehicle valuation procedures at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and PTML Area Commands.

Rather than treating the enquiry as an isolated controversy, the National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, used the opportunity to walk through the systems the Service has built precisely to prevent the kind of abuse the report describes.

He stated that, central to that system is the digital VIN-Valuation framework now governing vehicle clearance nationwide. Under the framework, standard vehicles are assessed automatically against global manufacturer specification databases, a design that strips human discretion out of the vast majority of valuation decisions. Only vehicles with non-standard or non-compliant VINs, such as specialised heavy equipment, classic models, customised builds and vintage vehicles, are routed through the “846” Extended Procedure Code

DC Maiwada noted that such applications require mandatory secondary approval from designated Valuation Officers and Area Controllers before clearance is granted.

The Service pointed to its post-clearance audit regime as further evidence that the system is designed for accountability rather than concealment: discrepancies uncovered during audits routinely trigger Demand Notices for the recovery of short-collected duties and can lead to the suspension of clearance licences for offending agents. Officials noted that revenue collection at Apapa, Tin Can Island and PTML has in fact reached historic highs under this framework, a trend the Service attributes directly to the tighter digital oversight now in place.

On enforcement along the land borders, the Service said the seizure figures routinely disclosed at media briefings by Area Controllers tell a different story from the one suggested by claims of an unchecked smuggling surge, and it reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing federal restrictions while continuing to facilitate legitimate trade.

The Service also used the moment to defend the integrity of its recruitment and promotion processes. It described the recently released Assistant Superintendent of Customs II shortlist, from application through computer-based testing, physical screening and final selection, as having been conducted under the direct supervision of the Nigeria Customs Service Board in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and Federal Character Commission guidelines, with the published list representing provisional offers still subject to medical and background verification.

Similarly, on questions of internal succession, the Service pointed to the Public Service Rules and the NCS Act 2023 as the governing framework for promotion, anchored on seniority, demonstrated merit in promotion examinations, and the availability of establishment vacancies rather than personal or group preference. Officials said promotion exercises under the current leadership have been made more regular, transparent and prompt, with no qualified officer denied advancement on account of their year of recruitment.

The Service framed its leadership training programmes, including courses delivered at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, and abroad, as part of a deliberate human capital strategy tied to its modernisation goals, funded through approved federal budgetary allocations or formal technical assistance arrangements with partner institutions such as the World Customs Organisation.

Perhaps most notably, the Service did not shy away from calls for independent scrutiny. It reiterated that it already operates under the statutory oversight of the Federal Ministry of Finance and remains subject to review by the National Assembly, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, and anti-graft agencies including the EFCC, the ICPC and the ONSA, stating plainly that it neither fears nor evades legitimate scrutiny.

“The management maintains a firm, intolerant posture toward corruption, revenue leakage, or administrative misconduct,” the Service stated, adding that any officer or stakeholder found complicit in unethical conduct would face institutional disciplinary procedures and prosecution under the law.