The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has committed the Nigeria Customs Service’s full support to the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), highlighting the new commission’s potential to drive economic growth in the region through strategic collaboration.
Adeniyi made the pledge during a courtesy visit from SSDC’s Managing Director, Usoro Akpabio, and her team to the Customs House in Abuja, according to a statement by the Customs Service’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Miawada.
Congratulating Akpabio on her appointment, Adeniyi underscored the wide-ranging reforms introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, noting that their successful implementation would require ongoing consultation and partnership with key stakeholders like the SSDC. “Customs will maintain open channels of communication with the Commission to ensure inclusivity and shared growth,” he said, adding that both bodies should meet again soon to engage a broader range of stakeholders.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of Customs’ management, including officers from outside the South-South zone, to fully support the Commission’s mandate.
Adeniyi proposed the formation of a joint working team to act as a collaborative platform, focusing on key areas such as trade facilitation, border security, and economic integration within the region.
Highlighting the Service’s community engagement efforts, the CGC shared that Customs recently launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme aimed at supporting host communities through initiatives in education, healthcare, and infrastructure development. This initiative reflects Customs’ dedication to inclusive growth and deepening partnerships across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
Speaking on behalf of the SSDC, Managing Director Usoro Akpabio praised Customs’ reform and modernization efforts as “exemplary.” She explained that, despite being inaugurated only three weeks earlier, the Commission’s broad mandate spans the blue economy, agriculture, human capital development, infrastructure, and utilities throughout the South-South region.
Given Customs’ critical role in the region especially with its presence in seaports, oil and gas sectors, free trade zones, and border operations, Akpabio emphasized the importance of forging a lasting strategic alliance. She assured that the Commission is committed to a partnership that transcends leadership changes, aimed at promoting transparency, regional prosperity, and national development.
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