NCS: Seme Border Command Records N3.4bn Revenue in 3 weeks

… Agro Exports Rise Higher Daily

By Ebenezer William

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raked in N3.48 billion at the Seme Border in February, following a recent explosion in agricultural export trade at the border.

The Controller of Seme Area Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, who revealed the figure during a stakeholders engagement on Thursday, remarked that while the month was yet to end, the command had already earned massive revenue from duties due to increased export trade at the border.

According to a statement by the command’s spokesman, Mr Tunde Ayagbalo, Comptroller Adenuga on Thursday, engaged with cross-border traders, farmers and stakeholders during a meeting organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme and GIZ International where he represented the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

The event, held in Badagry on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, was themed “Empowering Cross-Border Traders through Trade Information Desk for Agricultural Traders.”

Adenuga noted that this figure represented a remarkable improvement over the N743. 7 million recorded in February 2025, attributing the surge largely to the seamless trade facilitation process adopted at the command.

“For this February that has not yet ended, we have already generated N3,480,970,924.67 as against N743,698,652.16 revenue generated in February 2025. This clearly shows that the flow of trade is getting better and people are building greater confidence in the Seme–Krake corridor, ” the comptroller said.

He assured traders and stakeholders that the significant reduction in checkpoints along the Seme–Gbaji axis is the direct result of strong collaborative efforts with other security agencies operating within the corridor. He clarified that only Agbara and Gbaji remained the officially Customs-approved and sanctioned checkpoints along this Lagos-Abidjan corridor.

“We have also seen a noticeable decline in crime rates along the Seme-Gbaji axis due to the positive outcomes of monthly joint border security meetings involving all agencies at the border post,” Adenuga said.

“These regular inter-agency engagements have strengthened better cooperation, improved intelligence sharing and more effective responses to security challenges, thereby creating a safer and more enabling environment for cross-border trade.”

Comptroller Adenuga further noted that while revenue generation and trade facilitation remained key priorities, the command’s mandate extended firmly to combating illicit activities.

He highlighted recent enforcement successes, including the interception of a Toyota Highlander vehicle conveying 22 packages of cocaine with an estimated street value exceeding N1 billion, a feat which was made possible based on very credible information shared by the Comptroller-General of Customs.

“In addition, during February 2026 alone, the Command has seized 1,000 bags of 50kg parboiled rice, underscoring its unwavering commitment to suppressing smuggling and protecting Nigeria’s economic borders,” he said.

He restated the vigilance and commitment of the operatives of the command in working closely with stakeholders, traders, farmers, sister security agencies and regional partners to improve the momentum of trade and security along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.