The Nigeria Customs Service Area Comptroller of Seme Border Command, Dr. Ben Oramalugo, has received the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise on an oversight function visit to the Command.
The House Committee led by its Chairman, Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide were on Monday, 7th April, 2025 received at the Command by Comptroller Dr. Ben Oramalugo.
The Committee’s visit is part of the National Assembly’s statutory oversight responsibilities as enshrined in Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While receiving the national delegation, the CAC, Dr. Ben Oramalugo, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the Committee’s visit, describing the gesture as a strong demonstration of their commitment to enhancing Customs administration, trade facilitation, and national revenue optimization.
Dr. Oramalugo however, highlighted on the strategic importance of the Joint Border Post (JBP) along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, which serves as a vital hub for regional trade, reiterating on the Command’s dedication to embracing the JBP initiative, which fosters cooperation with the Republic of Benin, promotes intelligence sharing, and improves Customs clearance through the One-stop border post model.
CAC Oramalugo, who assumed office on the 11th of February, 2025 has focused on four key mandates, which include: revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations, and inter-agency collaboration.
In his words: “Under my leadership, the Command has recorded significant achievements including generating the sum of One Billion, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Six Million, Three Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Naira and Eighty-Five Kobo (N1, 986,395,565.86k) in the first quarter of 2025, through improved compliance, risk management, and enforcement.
“Export activities were notably boosted with over 96,000 metric tonnes of goods with a Free On Board (FOB) value of Twenty Billion, Four hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira and Eighty-Seven Kobo (N20, 454,888,432.87k) only, facilitated from January to March 2025.
“While from January to March 2025, several seizures were made ranging from petroleum products, narcotics, foreign rice, poultry, vehicles, foreign parboiled rice and more with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Eight Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Seven Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Four Naira (N855,700,524.00k) only,” the CAC stated.
Comptr. Oramalugo further enumerated on several operational challenges faced by the Command, which include: poor infrastructure, shortage of personnel and equipment, lack of power supply for over Seven (7) years in the entire Seme axis, and ocean encroachment.
He in the meantime, called for urgent government intervention, especially in technology deployment, environmental protection, and enforcement of all contractual obligations on stalled projects.
In his response, the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise, Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide, reaffirmed the Committee’s resolve to critically assess the operations, revenue performance and capital projects in line with the 2023 and 2024 budgetary approvals.
According to the House Committee Chairman: “We are here to check your books, operations, and ongoing projects to ensure alignment with appropriated funds and to determine areas for retention or removal in the 2025 budget,” the House Committee Chairman stated.
Rt. Hon. Abajide further emphasized on the need for the Command to provide data on revenue performance in relation to targets, impact of E-Customs and digital platforms and efforts made in suppressing smuggling and promoting Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
Speaking further, Hon. Abejide assured that the welfare of Customs officers is of equal priority, encouraging the Command to use the opportunity to present actionable needs for inclusion in the 2025 budget.
The visit came to an end with mutual assurances of continued collaboration in strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service as a key driver of economic development, regional integration, and national security.
