General
Customs Receives Two Mobile Scanners for Greater Efficiency
By Adedapo Adesanya
- To Deploy Drones at Seme Border Soon
- Claims N719m Revenue, Processes 635,149.23 metric tons valued at N15.5 billion
The Nigeria Customs Service, Tincan Island Area Command, has taken delivery of two NUCTECH Mobile Scanners MT1213DE with accessories.
The equipment arrived on board Glovis Horizon Leader from the Port of Shanghai, China on Monday, according to a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Uche Ejesieme.
The Area Controller, Mr Abdullahi Musa, who received the consignment, said, “Integration of scanning into the clearance procedure for imports was in line with global best practices for trade facilitation.”
He said that the key objective of deploying scanners was to reduce the time needed for physical inspection of goods which generated extensive cost and created multiple burdens and inconveniences for both importers and customs.
He expressed delight at the development and thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr Hameed Ali, and the entire agency’s management team for the feat.
“Recall that the CGC on assumption had promised to reform, restructure and raise revenue; these scanners will constantly enhance trade facilitation and consequently lead to increased revenue,” he said.
He assured stakeholders that the deployment of the scanners would result in increased cargo handling and greater efficiency in the trade value chain.
In a related development, the NCS noted that it will soon deploy drones at Seme for effective patrol in checking smuggling activities in the border area.
This was revealed by the Zone A Coordinator and Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) of Customs, Mrs Modupe Aremu, during a working visit to Seme Border Area Command.
She said border management surveillance will be done electronically through the use of drones to ensure that there will be an area overview of what is happening.
She said, “Seme command visit is the end of my tour in Zone A and I must commend all the commands, they account for over 80 per cent of revenue collection by the NCS and so they should keep up the good work.
“With the tour of all commands, I have seen that all the officers are doing well but they can still do better. And I am telling them that they should be expecting impromptu visits from the Zonal Coordinator, so they should not relax on the job.
“Also, e-customs N300 billion contract that is end-to-end automation that is about to kick-off is about Information and Communication Technology connectivity; when it comes on board, we are going to have an electronic signature, drones patrolling the border.”
She noted that the service was trying to minimize person to person contact to reduce human interaction and make the work faster and more efficient.
Mrs Aremu expressed satisfaction with the joint border post buildings that was commissioned on October 23, 2018, noting that it ushered in an era of coordinated border management.
“This is one-stop-shop and from what the comptroller has shown me, it is what is practised abroad; this is really commendable that what we see when we travel, we have it here in Nigeria,” she said.
She urged Seme Customs to keep abreast of all the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols in order to understand what was happening.
On enforcement activities, she urged the command to keep pushing as the nation at this point in time needed the service to properly secure its borders.
She expressed the hope that the scanner at the border would start functioning to help simplify processes as much as possible, urging the command to ensure proper compilation of case files and prosecution of arrested suspects to show the seriousness of the service in fighting smuggling.
On his part, the Seme Customs Comptroller, Mr Bello Jibo, noted that enforcement activities were not affected by the border closure as the command made a remarkable interception of 1,244 suspected smuggled goods with a duty paid value of over N856 million.
He noted that despite unfriendly economic policies imposed on goods transiting through the Benin Republic, the command was able to collect about N719 million as revenue and processed export volume of 635,149.23 metric tons with a free on board value of N15.5 billion.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government and the Honeywell Group are strengthening a partnership aimed at achieving sustainable development in Nigeria.
The company on Thursday held a meeting with the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja. Both parties explored ways to promote economic development, reaffirming the importance of public-private sector cooperation in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda and improving service delivery for citizens.
The Senior Adviser to the Honeywell Group, Mrs Oduwaye Nsidi-Sakiri, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting national development through constructive engagement and collaboration.
“We commend the remarkable progress that has been made. These achievements are a reflection not only of leadership but also of the dedication and hard work of the entire team within the Ministry,” she said.
She explained that the visit reflected Honeywell Group’s longstanding tradition of maintaining proactive and constructive relationships with government institutions, regulatory agencies, and other key public-sector stakeholders. She further expressed the group’s willingness to explore opportunities for collaboration in support of government initiatives and national development objectives.
Also speaking, Honeywell Group Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Tomi Ayo-Tugbo, commended the Ministry for reforms that are delivering tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians, reiterating the firm’s commitment to supporting the country’s growth and prosperity.
On his part, Mr Tunji-Ojo praised the company for its longstanding contributions to Nigeria’s economy and acknowledged the critical role of the private sector in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and supporting national development.
He further assured the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to engage with stakeholders and collaborate with responsible corporate organisations in advancing initiatives that promote economic development, innovation, and improved service delivery.
The Minister emphasised that the reforms being implemented across the Ministry and its agencies are designed not only to improve operational efficiency but also to strengthen national security and enhance public confidence in government institutions.
“Our goal is to build institutions that work efficiently for the people. We are committed to creating systems that are transparent, technology-driven, and capable of delivering services in a manner that reflects the aspirations of a modern Nigeria,” he stated.
“The government cannot achieve sustainable development alone. Strong partnerships between the public and private sectors are essential to building a prosperous nation. We value organisations such as Honeywell Group that have consistently invested in Nigeria and contributed to the country’s growth over several decades,” Mr Tunji-Ojo added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has directed that no new public contracts should be awarded without first getting the funds, as part of efforts to improve project delivery across the country.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed this on the sidelines of the Inaugural Hosting of The Procurement Evolution in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Adedokun said President Bola Tinubu had approved measures to raise resources needed to settle outstanding obligations to contractors, describing timely payment as critical to an efficient procurement system.
“Mr President has given a directive on when funds should be raised to address the concerns of contractors who are yet to be paid. With this, procurement processes will be much better because payment is now tied to procurement.
“Meaning that no award will be further issued without resources or funding available. So these are the things that the President has asked us to do.”
The BPP boss said the government was also implementing 23 procurement reforms aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and value for money in public spending.
According to him, committees to drive the reforms will soon be inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
He said the reforms were designed to ensure that Nigerians benefit directly through improved infrastructure, healthcare, education and better living conditions.
“The president wants Nigerians to feel the effects of this transformation by having good roads, good hospitals, good educational institutions, and a good living wage for all workers.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr George Akume, said public procurement remained central to the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Mr Akume noted that ongoing reforms, including proposed amendments to the Public Procurement Act 2007, the Nigeria First Policy, Nigeria e-Marketplace initiative, community-based procurement and affirmative procurement programmes, were intended to strengthen local industries and promote economic inclusion.
The SGF, represented by Mr Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the SGF, added that the reforms would enhance transparency, simplify procurement processes and leverage technology to improve service delivery and national development.
“As we move forward, our collective responsibility is very clear.
“We must ensure that procurement processes are simplified. without compromising accountability, that technology is fully leveraged to eliminate inefficiencies and that all stakeholders work collaboratively to achieve shared national goals.
“The federal government remains fully committed to supporting the Bureau of Public Procurement in driving these reforms and ensuring that public procurement becomes a catalyst for economic growth, infrastructure development and improved quality of life for all our citizens.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies (DisCos) generated N196.13 billion in revenue in March 2026, despite billing customers a total of N246.43 billion during the month, according to the latest commercial performance report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The figure represents a slight decline from the N196.68 billion collected in February, highlighting persistent challenges in revenue recovery across the power distribution segment, even as energy supplied to the grid continued to improve.
NERC’s March 2026 fact sheet showed that electricity billing rose by 1.71 per cent from N242.29 billion recorded in February, reflecting increased energy deliveries and customer charges. However, collection efficiency declined to 79.59 per cent from 81.17 per cent in the previous month, indicating that a significant portion of billed revenue remained uncollected.
The regulator disclosed that DisCos received 293.76 million kilowatt-hours of electricity during the review period, representing a 6.02 per cent increase compared to February. The development suggests a modest improvement in power availability across the distribution network.
Despite the increase in energy supplied, revenue recovery remains uneven across the industry. NERC reported that the average approved tariff for March stood at N124.30 per kilowatt-hour, while actual collections averaged ₦100.75 per kilowatt-hour, resulting in an overall revenue recovery efficiency of 81.05 per cent.
Among the eleven DisCos, Ikeja Electric emerged as the strongest performer, posting a revenue recovery efficiency of 99.30 per cent. Eko Electricity Distribution Company followed with 95.73 per cent, while Benin DisCo recorded 85.18 per cent.
At the lower end of the performance table, Kaduna Electric recorded the weakest recovery rate at 35.65 per cent. Jos DisCo and Yola DisCo also struggled, achieving recovery efficiencies of 53.53 per cent and 58.58 per cent, respectively.
Ikeja Electric also led in collection efficiency with 96.38 per cent, ahead of Benin DisCo at 90.97 per cent and Eko DisCo at 87.68 per cent. Kaduna, Jos and Yola remained the poorest performers in this category, underlining the persistent commercial and operational challenges facing power distributors in parts of northern Nigeria.
In terms of billing efficiency, Eko DisCo ranked first with 92.30 per cent, followed by Port Harcourt DisCo at 90.36 per cent and Ikeja Electric at 87.76 per cent. Yola DisCo recorded the lowest billing efficiency at 58.68 per cent.
The latest figures underscore the mixed realities within Nigeria’s power sector. While electricity supply and customer billing continue to improve, revenue collection remains a major obstacle to the financial sustainability of the industry.
Analysts note that stronger metering penetration, improved customer confidence, reduction in energy theft and more efficient collection systems will be critical if DisCos are to close the widening gap between electricity supplied, billed revenue and actual collections.
The March performance report comes as regulators and industry stakeholders intensify efforts to strengthen the commercial viability of the electricity market, attract fresh investment and improve service delivery across the country.
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