Apapa Customs, ICPC reinforce partnership for trade compliance

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s dedication to collaborating with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to boost transparency, compliance, and national development.

This was made known in a statement on Saturday by Customs.

In a recent visit to the ICPC Lagos Office, Comptroller Oshoba emphasised the vital role of inter-agency cooperation in advancing national interests through intelligence sharing and public enlightenment. He explained, “Nigeria is a national project. We are all collaborators to ensure we keep the flag flying. The best way to do that is through collaboration and synergy.”

Oshoba highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service mandates — revenue generation, trade facilitation, public safety, and national security — aligning them with a policy focus on “Consolidation, Collaboration, and Innovation.”

He stressed the critical nature of compliance in trade facilitation: “The trade we do, the business we facilitate, compliance is key. We find that the most disturbing thing for us is non-compliance.”

ICPC Lagos Commissioner Alexandra Chukwurah praised the enduring partnership, noting the deep-rooted relationship sustained by shared values of accountability.

Chukwurah offered strong support, stating, “If you’re ever in doubt about any anti-corruption issue, call us.”

Both agencies pledged to deepen cooperation through joint sensitization programs, seminars, and operational synergy aimed at promoting transparency, expanding revenue, and combating corruption within Nigeria’s trade corridors.