The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Port Harcourt Area I Command has posted its highest-ever monthly revenue, collecting an impressive ₦33.75 billion during October 2025—a staggering 272 per cent increase compared to the ₦9.07 billion generated in October 2024.
In a statement on Sunday, Salamat Aliyu Atuluku, the Customs Area Controller, described the achievement as the outcome of “teamwork, innovation and operational discipline.”
Command’s Year-to-Date Performance Exceeds Expectations
With two months remaining in the year, the Command has already exceeded its annual revenue target of ₦216 billion, having amassed ₦247.46 billion from January to October 2025.
This marks a substantial increase from the ₦164.08 billion collected in the same period in 2024. According to Atuluku, the Command has thus exceeded its target by over ₦31 billion, even before the traditional “ember” months of November and December.
The Drivers of Success
Atuluku attributed the landmark performance to a range of strategic initiatives and commitments:
* She pointed to strong leadership and renewed operational discipline among officers and men of the Command.
* The deployment of the unified system “Bodogwu”—the Unified Customs Management System—played a key role in enhancing efficiency. The system enabled the identification of bottlenecks, improved data accuracy and delivered real-time revenue accountability.
* Enhanced collaboration with sister agencies, terminal operators and shipping companies helped promote voluntary compliance and reduce clearance disputes.
* A disciplined focus on tightening enforcement of fiscal policies, plugging revenue leakages and modernising data monitoring allowed the Command to track import declarations and duty payments in real time.
Beyond Numbers: The National Significance
Atuluku urged officers to reflect on the broader national significance of their work, saying:
“When we speak of revenue, we are not merely speaking of statistics. We are speaking of the resources that drive national development, the funds that power road construction, healthcare delivery, education and security infrastructure.”
She underlined that the drive to collect revenue was not simply a Customs target—but a contribution to Nigeria’s economic infrastructure and public welfare.
Vigilance Remains Key
While celebrating the milestone, Atuluku emphasised that the Command would not become complacent. She stated that anti-smuggling measures would be reinforced to protect the economy from harmful and prohibited imports, while legitimate trade would continue to be supported via a fair and transparent system.
Reform-Driven Approach and the Trade Gateway Role
The performance at Port Harcourt Area I is closely tied to the wider Customs reform agenda under Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs.
Since assuming office in 2023, Adeniyi has prioritised automation, stakeholder engagement and efficiency improvements across the agency.
Atuluku described the Command’s success as a direct reflection of this reform-driven mindset.
As the gateway for seaports and export terminals in Rivers State and a vital contributor to Nigeria’s non-oil revenue in the South-South region, the Port Harcourt Area I Command has repeatedly been identified as a key trade-hub for the nation.
Looking Ahead
Atuluku expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General, the broader Customs Management Team, and port stakeholders, and urged their continued collaboration.
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“Together, we can sustain this momentum and build a more efficient and people-centred Customs administration that serves both the economy and the public interest.”
With the ember months ahead—which traditionally see heightened trade activity—the Command enters this period with strong momentum and the challenge to maintain its transformational performance into year‐end.
