The Nigeria Customs Service has celebrated the retirement of Deputy Comptroller-General Dera Nnadi, marking the end of a career many officers say helped strengthen leadership and institutional development within the service.

The colourful ceremony took place on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, at the Customs headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

Senior officials, officers, family members and well-wishers gathered to honour the retiring officer.

The event also coincided with Nnadi’s 60th birthday, making it both a farewell ceremony and a milestone celebration.

Why it matters

The retirement of a senior Customs officer comes at a time when the service is expanding reforms around trade facilitation, border security and revenue generation.

Leadership transitions within the agency can influence how these reforms continue across Nigeria’s ports and borders.

The Nigeria Customs Service plays a key role in regulating imports, generating government revenue and protecting Nigeria’s borders from smuggling.

Customs chief praises Nnadi’s career

Leading tributes at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi described Nnadi as an officer whose professionalism and discipline strengthened the institution.

According to him, the ceremony was not only a farewell but a recognition of dedication to national service.

“Today is a moment of celebration and reflection. It is also an opportunity for us to thank Almighty God for the grace that has sustained our colleague throughout his years of service,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs chief also noted that the relationship between both officers went beyond official duties.

He said their bond extended to family ties and expressed confidence that the retired officer still has the experience to contribute to national development through academic and professional engagements.

Colleagues highlight leadership and mentorship

Members of the Customs management team also praised the retired officer for his leadership style and mentorship.

Several officers who served under him described him as a dependable leader who encouraged younger personnel and helped strengthen the service’s institutional capacity.

They said his approach to leadership combined discipline with guidance for junior officers.

Nnadi reflects on decades in Customs

Responding to the tributes, Dera Nnadi thanked the Comptroller-General, management team and officers for their support during his career.

He described his time in the service as a journey of learning and service to the country.

According to him, the experience allowed him to grow professionally while contributing to national development.

A ceremonial send-off

The event ended with the presentation of awards and gift items to the retired officer.

Guests also took commemorative photographs to mark the end of his career in the service.

For many officers present, the ceremony was both a farewell and a reminder of the dedication required in public service.

What’s next

Customs officials say the agency will continue strengthening reforms aimed at improving trade facilitation and border security.

Leadership succession within the service is expected to maintain continuity in these policies.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has stepped up collaboration with security agencies in a bid to improve port efficiency, reduce cargo delays, and strengthen maritime security across Nigeria’s seaports.

The council recently held strategic meetings with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) Port Authority Police (Western Command) and the Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, seeking deeper cooperation to tackle operational challenges affecting cargo clearance and port operations.

Why it matters

Nigeria’s ports handle a large share of the country’s international trade, and delays in cargo clearance can raise the cost of goods and slow economic activity.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Akutah Pius, said improved coordination between security agencies and port regulators could significantly reduce disruptions that slow down cargo movement.

During a courtesy visit by the Port Authority Police (Western Command), Dr Pius said stronger collaboration and intelligence sharing were necessary to address operational bottlenecks.

“It is important for government agencies operating at the ports to synergise in order to achieve port efficiency,” he said.

He added that coordinated enforcement would help reduce cargo dwell time and eliminate unnecessary disruptions in port operations.

Dr Pius also criticised the arrest of containers that had already been cleared at the ports, saying such actions create avoidable delays for port users.

“It is wrong to arrest containers that have already been cleared at the ports. There should be better coordination to check such issues,” he said

According to him, closer cooperation among agencies will support seamless cargo movement, strengthen regulatory enforcement, and improve Nigeria’s port competitiveness.

Security agencies pledge support

The Commissioner of Police, Port Authority Police (Western Command), Oluwatoyin Iyabode Agbaminoja, described the Shippers’ Council as a key institution within Nigeria’s maritime governance system.

She said the command remained committed to providing security for port users and critical infrastructure.

“The Command will continue to improve cooperation in addressing emerging security threats and operational challenges in the ports,” she said.

Agbaminoja added that the police would support the council in its statutory roles, including dispute resolution, monitoring cargo movement, protecting port users, and enforcing lawful activities.

Navy highlights role in maritime security

The Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy also reaffirmed its commitment to stronger collaboration with the council during a separate meeting.

Dr Pius and the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, said maritime security remained critical to trade facilitation.

They noted that more than 90% of global cargo is transported by sea, making safe maritime routes essential for international commerce.

Dr Pius said the Navy had remained a strategic partner in protecting cargo and ensuring stable port operations.

He said the council’s ongoing reforms include reducing cargo dwell time, promoting port automation, and preparing for the implementation of the National Single Window project.

The NSC chief also commended the Navy’s efforts in tackling piracy in Nigerian waters.

According to him, improved maritime security has boosted global shipping confidence and strengthened Nigeria’s case for removal from war-risk classifications that increase freight costs.

What’s next

Both agencies said deeper collaboration, stronger maritime domain awareness through technology, and regular stakeholder engagement would help stabilise Nigeria’s port environment.

Rear Admiral Mustapha also highlighted major naval operations supporting maritime security, including Exercise Omi Ailewu, Ember-month patrols, and the Chief of Naval Staff Annual Sea Inspection Exercise (CASI).

He said more than 16 naval vessels were deployed during recent operations to reinforce Nigeria’s maritime presence and protect shipping routes.

Experts say such cooperation between regulators and security agencies could play a major role in improving trade efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a regional maritime hub.

Nigeria must invest in maritime skills, align ocean governance and empower local businesses if it hopes to build a sustainable blue economy.

That was the central message delivered by Professor Andrew Spencer, President of Caribbean Maritime University, during the 9th Convocation Lecture of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

Speaking on Wednesday, March 4, Professor Spencer outlined what he described as the “Three Cs” needed for a sustainable blue economy — Capacity, Coherence and Collaboration.

Why It Matters

Nigeria sits within the strategically vital Gulf of Guinea, a region central to offshore energy, fisheries, maritime trade and regional security.

The Federal Government has repeatedly signalled its intention to diversify the economy through ocean-based industries.

But Professor Spencer warned that infrastructure alone would not secure economic sovereignty.

“Ports, vessels, and digital systems create opportunity only when nations possess the skills to operate, regulate, and improve them,” he said.

He added:

 “The success of a blue economy is shaped less by the scale of its infrastructure and more by the quality of its people, the alignment of its institutions, and the inclusiveness of its economic design.”

Capacity: “Infrastructure Without Human Capital Produces Dependency”

Drawing lessons from Caribbean port modernisation efforts since the late 1990s, Professor Spencer said many countries improved terminals and increased cargo traffic  but failed to develop indigenous expertise at the same pace.

He explained that while ownership of assets often remained national, operational control and strategic data management frequently shifted to foreign operators.

The result, he said, was “structural dependence”.

Maritime universities, he argued, must be seen as strategic national assets rather than peripheral institutions.

A 2024 tracer study from the Caribbean Maritime University showed 45% of graduates secured employment before graduation, 71% within six months, and 81% within nine months — figures he cited as proof that industry-aligned education strengthens economic resilience.

For Nigeria, he said, the implication is “both direct and urgent”.

 “Infrastructure can be imported. Capital can be mobilised. Partnerships can be negotiated, but institutional knowledge and maritime competence must be built from within.”

Coherence: The Risk of Fragmented Governance

Professor Spencer also cautioned against fragmented maritime governance.

In the Caribbean, regional coordination existed through CARICOM, but enforcement, surveillance and data systems remained uneven across jurisdictions.

This fragmentation, he said, weakened regulatory authority and made governance reactive rather than strategic.

For Nigeria, with its size and influence in West Africa, the stakes are even higher.

“In a region as resource-intensive and strategically exposed as the Gulf of Guinea, fragmentation would magnify risks rather than contain them,” he warned.

Collaboration: Bringing SMEs into the Fold

The third pillar of the lecture focused on collaboration and value capture.

Professor Spencer said economic growth does not automatically translate into local prosperity when small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are excluded from high-value maritime activities.

He cited Jamaica’s Special Economic Zones framework as an example of how port-adjacent infrastructure can integrate local firms into global value chains.

For Nigeria, he suggested deliberate integration of local SMEs into logistics, vessel services, fisheries processing, storage, tourism and port support services.

“When blue-economy investments build SME capacity, skills and ownership, growth becomes inclusive, resilient and durable,” he said.

What’s Next?

Nigeria has announced several blue economy initiatives in recent years, including plans to strengthen maritime education and develop coastal infrastructure.

Professor Spencer concluded that the question is no longer whether the blue economy will grow but who will own it, who will govern it, and who will benefit from it.