Author: Dodo Elias Denen

The Nigeria Customs Service Seme Area Command has aimed to eradicate trade hindrances affecting free movement of goods and services along the Lagos-Abidjan business corridor through seeking collaboration and engagement with critical stakeholders.

According to the press statement by SC JT Ayagbalo, Customs Public Relations Officer, Seme Area Command. The Area Controller made this known during a series of familiarisation visit to the Palace of traditional rulers and heads of sister security agencies signifying commitment to achieving the goals and objectives of the Service in line with the Federal government economic policies.

Speaking at the Palace of Oba Akran of Badagry Kingdom, the Customs Area Controller condoled with the royal family and entire people of Badagry kingdom on the passing away of
who was a well recognized traditional ruler across the border communities.

“”The purpose of my visit is to introduce myself as the Area Controller of Seme Command and to equally seek your royal blessing and support to achieve the core mandate of the service. Our priority remains to generate revenue, facilitate trade, and suppress smuggling. And we in the Customs believe that without due support and co-operation from traditional rulers, we can not have effective performance of our functions as Customs officers” he said

In response, the King Regent, Chief Abel Ogunbiyi, who described Kaila as the son of the soil, added that “We have listened to your request. Know that Badagry is a very peaceful town, and we will keep collaborating with you in safeguarding our borders and in promoting legitimate trade, ” he stated.

Comptroller Kaila also visited the Onibereko of Ibereko Awori-Kingdom, where the monarch, Oba Israel Okoya, signifies his commitment to fostering the service relationship with residents living within the border communities

“I welcome you to Badagry and be rest assured that I will always talk to my people whenever the need is required. In our town, our youth does not engage in illegalities as I have no other choice than to assist you in achieving the government mandate, ” he mentioned

While at the Palace of Alapa of Apa Kingdom the king HRM Oba Oyekan Ajose Ilufemiloye commended and described the CAC, Comptroller Kaila as a professional, seasoned and well respected officer as described by indigenes of border communities.

“I promise you that I will always assist you in my area for anything that you need. Our border here has been peaceful because our youth always listen to the elders, and I know with your present here, things will change for the better, ” he said

In his efforts to consolidate on existing synergy between sister security agencies, the controller visited Headquarters of 653 Nigerian Air force base, Ahanve-Badagry. The Air Force base formation expressed their readiness to always support the command in achieving its mandate. This was revealed by the Commanding Officer, Group Captain Hungruy Medugu, where he added that both agencies shared similar purposes.

“Our collaboration has been key to various successes we have recorded in our area of responsibility. Your presence here strengthens existing bonds of inter-agency collaboration between both Services, and we will not take it for granted ,” he said

The Area Controller then ended his familirisation tour with seeking for mutual cooperation with a visit to the Republic of Benin Police office showing his readiness to eradicate hindrances affecting the free movement of goods and services across the border.

The National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) has successfully hosted the Abuja Green City Tour and Promotion of Sustainable Transport Systems in Nigeria, bringing together stakeholders in the tourism and transport sectors to showcase the Federal Capital Territory’s eco-friendly potential.

The event, held on April 30, 2026, drew participation from tourism professionals, partners, sponsors, and guests, all united in advancing sustainable tourism and transport initiatives across the country.

Bolaji Mustapha, president of NATOP described the tour as more than a sightseeing exercise, noting that it served as a strategic platform to reposition Nigeria’s tourism narrative through environmentally conscious practices and collaboration.

During the tour, participants visited notable locations including the National Assembly Museum, the Garki Palace, as well as selected religious centres and art galleries across Abuja. The itinerary also featured a stop at BMT Gardens, alongside a guided drive through key green and natural areas within the capital city.

According to NATOP president, the initiative highlighted the importance of integrating sustainable transport systems into tourism development, while promoting eco-friendly destinations within Nigeria.

NATOP expressed appreciation to sponsors and partners whose support contributed to the success of the event, reaffirming their commitment to continued collaboration in driving tourism growth.

Stakeholders at the event emphasised the need for sustained efforts in promoting Nigerian and African tourism through innovation, environmental consciousness, and strategic partnerships.

The Abuja Green City Tour forms part of ongoing efforts by NATOP to position Nigeria as a leading destination for sustainable tourism in Africa.

The Tin-Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a major operational breakthrough with the interception and seizure of illicit drugs valued at nearly ₦19 billion, reinforcing intensified efforts to combat transnational crime at Nigeria’s seaports.

Addressing journalists and stakeholders, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka described the operation as a product of credible intelligence and sustained collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), particularly its Tin-Can Island Port Strategic Command.

According to him, the breakthrough followed the profiling and red-flagging of a suspicious container marked HAMU429966/1, which originated from Canada and was initially declared to contain used vehicles.

Acting on intelligence, officers of the Command, in joint operation with NDLEA personnel, subjected the container to a comprehensive 100 per cent physical examination.

The inspection uncovered a sophisticated concealment involving one used 2010 Toyota Camry and one used 2023 Chevrolet Colorado, inside which were hidden 185 jumbo bags of Cannabis Indica.

Further checks revealed that the consignment comprised 9,458 packages of the illicit substance, with a combined weight of 4,729 kilograms and an estimated street value of ₦18,916,000,000.

Comptroller Onyeka noted that the seizure underscores the vigilance, professionalism, and resilience of Customs officers, while also highlighting the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in safeguarding the nation.

He announced that the seized drugs have been formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution in accordance with its statutory mandate.

The development comes on the heels of a landmark agreement between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA aimed at strengthening synergy in tackling drug trafficking and organised crime across the country.

The agreement, signed on April 27, 2026, in Abuja by the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, established a framework for enhanced intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement actions.

Under the arrangement, both agencies are expected to deepen operational cooperation through structured engagements, while a standing inter-agency committee domiciled at the NDLEA headquarters will drive implementation.

The Controller commended the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs for providing strategic direction and operational support, while also acknowledging the NDLEA and other stakeholders, including port operators and the media, for their continued partnership.

He reiterated the Command’s resolve to intensify intelligence-driven operations and issued a stern warning to smugglers, stressing that there will be no hiding place for those seeking to undermine Nigeria’s economy and public safety.

Reaffirming its commitment, the Command pledged to sustain robust enforcement measures to protect national security, promote lawful trade, and shield citizens from the dangers posed by illicit drugs.

The General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Adebayo Babalola, has charged newly trained military drivers to uphold discipline, responsibility and professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Driver Basic Course 1/26 in Lagos, the GOC stressed that the role of military drivers goes beyond operating vehicles, noting that it requires alertness, integrity and strict adherence to safety standards.

The ceremony, held at the 75 Supply and Transport Brigade in Victoria Island, marked the successful completion of intensive training for soldiers drawn from units across the Division’s operational area.

Represented by the Division Training Officer, Brigadier General HM Bello, Babalola emphasised the importance of obeying speed limits, understanding road signs and maintaining composure under operational pressure.

He warned that negligence on the road could have grave consequences for military operations, national security and public safety, urging the graduates to reflect the core values of the Nigerian Army at all times.

The GOC noted that the training programme was designed to bridge the gap in the number of qualified drivers within the Division, while enhancing operational efficiency and mobility.

He commended the instructors and staff of the 75 Supply and Transport Brigade for their commitment to delivering both practical and theoretical knowledge to the trainees.

Babalola further urged the graduates to apply the skills acquired during the course, stressing that competence and discipline must remain their guiding principles in the field.

In his welcome address, the Acting Commander of the Brigade, Colonel IM Akosim, praised the participants for their dedication and discipline throughout the training period.

A total of 43 personnel, who commenced the course earlier in the year, successfully completed the programme, reinforcing the Division’s capacity to deliver on its operational mandate.

Former Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Olusegun Runsewe, has been honoured with the Africa Man of the Year Award in Arts, Culture and Hospitality by the National Chronicle, further cementing his enduring influence in Nigeria’s cultural and tourism sectors.

The award, presented on April 30, 2026, adds to a growing list of recognitions the cultural administrator has received since leaving public office. According to the publisher of National Chronicle, Runsewe was celebrated for his visionary leadership, cultural advocacy, and sustained efforts in promoting and preserving Nigeria’s rich heritage.

The citation noted that his contributions have significantly elevated Nigeria’s global cultural footprint while strengthening appreciation for African identity and creative excellence.

Runsewe’s career spans several strategic roles that placed him at the forefront of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy. He served as media coordinator for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003, pioneer chairman of the Abuja Carnival, Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation in 2006, and later led the National Council for Arts and Culture until 2024.

Even in retirement, accolades have continued to trail him. In 2024, Vanguard Newspapers named him Arts, Culture and Tourism Icon, recognising his lasting impact beyond public service. Around the same period, he also intervened in disputes within the tourism sector, calling for unity and offering guidance as a respected stakeholder.

On the international stage, Runsewe was honoured as Icon of Crafts, Culture and Hospitality in Africa at the World Crafts Forum held in Kuwait, underscoring his continental relevance.

Beyond his public service roles, Runsewe holds several positions and honours, including President of the Nigeria Golf Federation, head of the African Tourism Initiative, and Fellow of the London Institute of Management Studies. He is also a recipient of multiple traditional titles across Nigeria.

Widely regarded as a cultural diplomat, Runsewe has remained active in promoting Nigeria’s tourism potential and cultural heritage. His recent recognitions reflect sustained acknowledgment of his decades-long contributions to the development of arts, culture, and hospitality in Nigeria and across Africa.

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has unveiled plans to facilitate the development of a West Coast cargo jetty aimed at enhancing seamless movement of goods and services across the sub-region.

In a strategic move to maximize Nigeria’s vast inland waterways, the Authority disclosed that it may operationalise some of its existing jetties to boost cargo traffic between Nigeria and Ghana as a pilot phase of the initiative.

This was made known during a joint inspection of the Marina Jetty in Lagos on Thursday by officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), NIWA, and a delegation from Ghana comprising corporate and private sector trade representatives.

Leading the NIWA delegation, the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Yusuf Girei, reiterated the Authority’s readiness to support the proposed West Coast cargo jetty. He highlighted the availability of extensive waterfront infrastructure capable of driving efficient, technology-driven, and hassle-free cargo operations with direct access to key markets within Lagos.

Girei, accompanied by NIWA’s General Manager (Marine), Engr. Horsefall Dakio, and the Lagos Area Manager, Engr. Sarat Braimah, explained that the Authority’s expansive network of waterways positions it as a critical enabler of inland cargo movement across West Africa.

He noted that NIWA’s existing operational experience, particularly along the Calabar–Cameroon route, provides a solid foundation for scaling similar initiatives across the West Coast corridor.

“We are committed to leveraging our infrastructure and expertise to facilitate regional trade. Our experience on the Calabar–Cameroon route demonstrates the viability of inland water transport in boosting market access within Nigeria and across West Africa,” Girei said.

The Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA), Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri Chapter, has intensified environmental advocacy with a bold entry into the nationwide Green Border Initiative, anchoring a high-impact tree planting campaign aimed at combating climate change.

The initiative, themed “Plant 1000 Trees in 1 Hour,” signals a growing alignment between community-based organisations and national sustainability goals, with COWA taking the message directly to grassroots institutions and young Nigerians.

Flagging off the campaign at Community Secondary School, Orogwe in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, the association mobilised students, teachers and community stakeholders in a coordinated awareness drive on environmental protection.

The programme, initiated by the National President of COWA, Mrs Kikelomo Adeniyi, is designed to deepen public understanding of global warming, deforestation and ecological degradation, while promoting practical solutions through mass tree planting.

Speaking during the event, Chairperson of COWA FOU Zone ‘C’, Dr Mrs Bolanle Balogun, stressed the urgency of environmental sustainability, warning that rising global temperatures driven by human activity pose long-term risks to ecosystems and livelihoods.

She explained that global warming intensifies the natural greenhouse effect, leading to increased heat retention in the atmosphere, a development she said could trigger extreme weather patterns and widespread biodiversity loss if left unchecked.

Dr Balogun urged the school management and students to become active ambassadors of the Green Border Initiative, charging them to extend the campaign beyond the school environment into surrounding communities.

In a demonstration of commitment, the event featured a hands-on tree planting exercise involving COWA members, school authorities and designated student Green Ambassadors, reinforcing the campaign’s practical focus.

Beyond advocacy, COWA also pledged to support infrastructure development in the school, including the renovation of its physics, biology and chemistry laboratories to enhance science education.

Responding, the school principal, Mrs Nwanu Clothilda Anayochi, expressed appreciation to the association for selecting the school for the programme, pledging institutional support and a sustained effort to amplify environmental awareness across the community.

In Nigeria’s complex border economy, enforcement has often been reduced to seizures and arrests, but a broader transformation is taking shape under the leadership of Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, Acting Customs Area Controller of Ogun I Command.

At the strategic Idiroko corridor, long associated with illicit trade, Afeni is advancing a doctrine that goes beyond routine policing, combining intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration, officer preparedness and community engagement to redefine enforcement outcomes.

Within a short period, the command recorded significant seizures, including 22,725 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 13,332 parcels of cannabis sativa, arms and ammunition, and 2,669 kegs of petroleum products totaling 66,725 litres, alongside hard drugs such as crystal meth and heroin.

Beyond these figures, revenue performance has improved, while export activities, once dormant along the corridor, are gradually rebounding, reinforcing the argument that effective enforcement can stimulate economic order.

More fundamentally, Afeni’s leadership is testing a critical proposition in public sector governance, whether security enforcement can serve as a tool for economic restructuring rather than merely a reactive function.

By reframing smuggling as both a criminal enterprise and a distortion of legitimate markets, the command is positioning Customs as a strategic economic actor, tasked with protecting domestic industries and stabilising trade flows.

This dual focus is evident in the simultaneous tightening of surveillance on smuggling routes and the facilitation of lawful exports, a balance that is shaping Afeni’s emerging leadership identity.

Recent violent resistance against patrol teams has further underscored the impact of these measures, as analysts interpret such pushback as evidence that entrenched illicit networks are being disrupted at a structural level.

Afeni’s approach also reflects strong institutional coordination, with active collaboration involving agencies responsible for drug enforcement, food and drug regulation, and arms control, recognising that modern border crimes operate within interconnected networks.

Equally notable is his emphasis on internal discipline and operational readiness, with structured fitness and training initiatives aimed at strengthening personnel capacity, alongside community engagement strategies designed to build local trust and intelligence support.

As exports resume through Idiroko, the development signals more than economic activity; it marks a shift in identity for a corridor once defined by contraband, positioning Ogun I Command as a case study in how enforcement, reform and economic governance can converge under purposeful leadership.

In the strategic lexicon of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”, it is asserted with clinical precision that “every battle is won before it is fought.” This timeless axiom of pre-emptive excellence finds its contemporary personification in Sir Engr Ucheonwu Prince Henry Hart. To observe his steady ascent is to witness a man who perceived the gathering storm clouds while they were yet a faint mist – a visionary capable of distilling the vapor of potential into a fertile downpour that now promises to nourish the parched political landscape of the Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency.

A scion of the illustrious family of the late Sir and Lady Ucheonwu Peter Chetuya Brown (PCB), Prince Henry Hart was born 56 years ago into a legacy of erudition and spiritual fortitude. His father, a renowned educationist and the foundational pillar of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Igga, bequeathed to him a compass of integrity. Hart’s life is a tapestry woven with the threads of the Anglican faith; a Knight of Saint Christopher (KSC), his journey from baptism to a stable, blessed marriage with four children reflects a man anchored by traditional values even as he navigates the complexities of global modernity.

Hart’s academic portfolio is nothing short of a masterclass in multidisciplinary excellence. His quest for knowledge has seen him traverse the hallowed halls of international and local institutions, accumulating a formidable arsenal of qualifications that include an M.Sc. in Occupational Safety and Health Management from Loughborough University, UK; a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Delta State University, Abraka; a Master’s in Project Management from Rome Business School; and a NEBOSH International Diploma in Health, Safety, and Environmental Management. He further fortified his expertise with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ambrose Alli University and diverse degrees in Public Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University and USAM Port Novo.

With over thirteen professional memberships and participation in forty-five specialised courses, including the prestigious Authentic Leadership Course at Lagos Business School, Hart is not merely a candidate; he is a refined technocrat prepared for the rigors of governance. With over three decades of immersion in the Upstream Oil and Gas sector, he has functioned as a high-level Quality, Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (QHSSE) Executive, navigating the high-stakes environment of Fortune 500 energy operators and aligning complex industrial strategies with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) mandates. His expertise is granular and expansive, covering risk assessment, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC), and large-scale infrastructure installations.

When queried on the catalysts driving his legislative ambition, Hart speaks not with the hollow rhetoric of a politician, but with the measured conviction of a humanist. He identifies “Compassion” as his primary driver – a visceral concern for the socio-economic malaise and infrastructure deficit stifling his people. This is bolstered by a profound “Selflessness,” as he notes that having been blessed with life’s basic needs, he views serving the constituency as a form of worship. His “Sense of Responsibility” ensures he acts out of duty rather than compulsion, while his “Integrity” guarantees a steadfast adherence to transparency and an uncompromising disdain for the “cutting of corners.”

Hart’s vision for Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani is one of “scaling up” the very essence of representation. He recognises the tragic paradox of Uzo-Uwani: a land sitting upon a treasure trove of unexplored mineral deposits while its inhabitants remain shackled by the “huge weight of poverty.” Addressing the twin demons of economic stagnation and peak insecurity, Hart intends to deploy his scientific training to transform legislative oversight into a tool for tangible development. He views law-making not as a static exercise, but as a dynamic engine to propel his constituents toward prosperity.

As the sun sets on eras defined by unmet promises, the emergence of Sir Engr Ucheonwu Prince Henry Hart signals a paradigm shift. He is the bridge between technical proficiency and empathetic leadership. In the interactive echoes of our sessions with him, one sentiment remains indelible: hope is no longer a distant horizon; it is arriving in Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani, steered by a hand that is both steady and skilled. To the glory of God, a new dawn beckons.

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