Adeniyi Pledges Customs Presence at Snake Island Integrated Free Zone

Eromosele Abiodun

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged to establish a new Customs Area Command at the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone (SIIFZ).

Adeniyi who stated this during an official visit to the facility in Lagos, expressed delight at the level of investment made on the island and commended Nigerdock, a maritime and logistics company, and operators of the SIIFZ, for their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

He stated that the service is in the final stages of documentation to establish a dedicated Command at the Free Zone, which will enhance operations and strengthen regulatory presence. 

“We are Just at the stage where we are finalising all the documentation, and I am very sure that by the next time I visit this place, I’ll be received by a Customs Area Controller,” he stated. 

He emphasised the importance of synergy between customs and private sector operators in driving national economic goals adding, “We are looking forward to a symbiotic relationship, that which will benefit the Nigeria Customs Service, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the Nigerdock as a corporate entity.”

In his remarks, the Managing Director of SIIFZ, Semiu Akorede, expressed appreciation for the Service’s support and highlighted the significance of the visit to the zone’s operational growth.

“Your coming here today is going to add a lot of value. We have enjoyed the support of Customs officers that are working with us here, and those that come here to carryout some operations, and I can confirm to you that we have been working together without any rancour”, he stated. 

Meanwhile, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional partnerships and support government agencies with reliable digital infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited paid a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network Service (NCBN) at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Headquarters in Abuja.

The delegation, led by Mr. Ifeatu Anafulu, Head of Marketing and Business Intelligence, was warmly received by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada.

Speaking during the visit, Anafulu expressed Galaxy Backbone’s appreciation for the warm reception, stating that the company’s mandate as a government owned technology solutions provider aligns with the Nigeria Customs Service’s digital transformation agenda. He noted that Galaxy Backbone is eager to collaborate with the Service in critical areas such as cloud storage, secured internet connectivity, data backup, and cybersecurity infrastructure.

In his response, Maiwada thanked the Galaxy Backbone team for their visit and commended their forward looking approach to public sector collaboration. He acknowledged the growing need for synergy between ICT providers and government institutions in an era defined by data security, transparency, and operational efficiency.

He said, “The Nigeria Customs Service is undergoing a comprehensive technological revolution anchored on the Trade Modernisation Project,” Maiwada said. “At the heart of this reform is the deployment of an indigenous platform, B’Odogwu,  a Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), which we built from ground zero.”