Seme border command generates 3.48BN In revenue

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Customs Service says revenue generated at the Seme border post has risen sharply, driven by increased agricultural exports and improved trade facilitation.

According to a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Seme Area Command, JT Ayagbalo, the Customs Area Controller, Wale Adenuga, said the command generated 3.48bn naira in February 2026, even before the month ended. He disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Badagry organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission and development partners, where he represented the Comptroller General ofCustoms, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

Mr Adenuga said the figure was a significant increase from the 743.7m naira recorded in February 2025, attributing the growth to streamlined trade processes and rising confidence among traders along the Seme–Krake corridor linking Nigeria and Benin.

He added that checkpoints along the Seme–Gbaji axis had been reduced through coordination with other security agencies, leaving only two officially approved customs checkpoints on the Lagos–Abidjan highway. He said regular joint border security meetings had also helped reduce crime through improved cooperation and intelligence sharing.

The customs chief said enforcement remained a priority, citing the interception of a vehicle carrying 22 packages of cocaine valued at more than 1bnnaira, as well as the seizure of about 1,000 bags of smuggled parboiled rice in February.

He said the command would continue working with traders, farmers, security agencies and regional partners to boost legitimate trade while protecting Nigeria’s borders.