Legacies of an Iconic Trade Enabler
By Ovie Edomi
Even before Frank Onyeka was promoted to the rank of Comptroller of Customs, by the Customs Board under the regime of Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, Comptroller General of Customs CGC, it was on record that Onyeka was the first Customs officer to be appointed as Customs Area controller in charge of Tin can Island port even as a Deputy Comptroller, DC. This came in recognition of his myriads of contributions to revenue generation, anti-smuggling and leadership qualities. Onyeka who has since been promoted Comptroller has a reputation for being incorruptible, meticulous, and a stickler for due process and the rule of law, coupled with his anti-smuggling skill and huge revenue generation prowess. It was these sterling qualities among others that influenced his being drafted to Tin Can Island port as the Customs Area Controller, by the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, Adewale Adeniyi Mni, MFR. Hitherto, Onyeka had performed strategic function as a Customs officer at different Customs Commands which earned him the nicknames: “Mr. Trade Facilitator and anti-smuggling officer”.
As he moves up the ladder, his reputation and sterling qualities have made the nicknames Mr. Trade Facilitator Enabler stick to him like bedbug. Only recently, he bagged two awards at the Maritime Industry Merit Awards MIMA 2026 for revenue generation and anti-smuggling. Earlier he had bagged countless awards for his contributions to the Nigeria Customs Service including League of Maritime Editors award of Excellence. When he was appointed as CAC of Tin Can Island Customs Area Command not many believed that Onyeka would be able to step into the shoes of his predecessor, DCG, Dera Nnadi now retired, because he had raised the bar beyond comprehension. However, Onyeka response to onlookers was ” by God’s grace and co-operation of stakeholders, we all build on the foundation already laid and raise the bar of performance. True to his prediction, he has not only built on the foundation, he has made Tin Can Island Customs Area Command to attain the position of second largest performing revenue collection Command of the Nigeria Customs services.
Somehow, Onyeka made history in a way that shocked book makers and he did it in a gesture that is a deparure from the age-long saying that a prophet has no Honour in his home, town. For Onyeka, he has not only been recognised in his community, he has been described as a rare community icon, a distinguished Customs officer and a champion of high revenue generation to the federation account as well as a source of pride to Nigerians. His recently introduced paperless clearance regime remains one of his boldest initiatives that will certainly accelerate trade, reduce human interface and strengthen transparency at the Tin Can island port, one of Nigeria’s most busiest ports. No doubt, the digitalisation of Tin Can island port will end decades of fragmented unending documentations. It will further block revenue leakages, enhance compliance and foster synergy with port users, as well strengthen monitoring mechanism and improve cargo clearness efficiency.
Significantly, Tin Can Island Customs Area Command will continue to boost its productivity especially in revenue generation. Last year Tin Can Island Customs Area Command surpassed its 2025 revenue generation target. The Command generated N1.57 trillion instead of the N1.52 trillion earlier targeted recording a surplus of over N51.8 billion. In 2026 precisely in February, Tin Can Island Customs Area Command generated N120.4 billion a record breaking figure that was generated into the federal government coffers. In the previous year 2025, Tin Can Island Customs Area Command equally set a new revenue record on August 19, 2025 when it raked in N16.4 billion in a single day.
Despite the disturbing trend regarding the Iran and USA war, the Tin Can Island Customs Area Command remains not just a revenue generation power house, but a reformed driven Command within the Nigeria Customs Service. It is expected that in the next few month, Onyeka would have repositioned the Command along with his men as a digital forwarding looking hub in Nigeria.
In line with this vision to digitalise Tin Can Island Customs Area Command, Onyeka with this men have prepositioned themselves and further raised the bar of compliance coupled with their zero tolerance stance on infractions, while ensuring that officers are motivated to achieve the milestones set by Tin Can Island Customs Area Command, under Frank Onyeka`s leadership.
No doubt this positive development and second to none revenue generation drive, is part of the Comptroller General of Customs leadership vision since assumption of office as the nation`s No I, Customs officer, and Onyeka will possibly go down in history as one of those that the CGC appointed that re-enacted the CAC’s appetite for trade facilitation, anti-smuggling and huge REVENUE generation to the federal government coffers.
Indeed from the policy thrust of his leadership and style of administration, couple with Onyeka`s inter personal skills and effective working collaboration with officers, other inter sister agencies heads as well as his robust relationship with stakeholders in addition to his digital driven mechanism, it is expected that he will record great feat, accelerate legitimate trade as well as ensure strict regulatory compliance. Stakeholders who spoke to this magazine editor say that Onyeka and his men have made Tin Can island Customs Area Command to become one of the geese that lay the golden egg.
This however did not come easy because the Command under Onyeka`s watch has fought many battles in blocking all revenue leakages and heighten surveillances on fake drug merchants/importers. For instance, the level of impunity exhibited by importers who engaged in concealment of prohibited items or under declared items in their containers reduced when Onyeka like his predecessor went tough on those who engaged in hard drugs smuggling, false declarations and so on.
In January this year following extensive physical examination of container, along with other relavant agencies which included the NDLEA operatives and the DSS, a container was found to contain 55 jumbo bags of cannabis indica and one colts MK IV series 70.45 Automatic Caliber Pistol (S419) were found. Three used vehicles namely, a Hyundai Santa, a used Toyota Sienna and another fairly used Toyota matric were used as means of concealing the prohibited items. The seized narcotic were later handed over to the NDLEA in the full glare of MEDIA men in line with inter agency collaboration for further investigation and prosecution in line with the law. Earlier, Onyeka’s men intercepted narcotics worth N5.3billon concealed in container that originated from Canada. The seized substance was handed over to the NDLEA Commander Daniel Onyishi, of Tin Can Island NDLEA Command.
Since becoming the Controller of Tin Can Island Customs Area Command, Onyeka has made Tin Can Island Customs Area Command not only a vital artery for trade, he has turned the Command around so much that most of the bottlenecks associated with clearance delay have been adequately tackled with the introduction of ICT driven techniques combine with positive attitude of Customs personnel. Somehow, Onyeka’s reputation for being incorruptible, meticulous, and stickler for due process, rule of law and radical revenue generation drive, continue to increase.
Contrary to the impression that Apapa down to Tin Can Island are plagued by gridlock, under the leadership of Onyeka, the gridlock vanished, reforms and resilience as well as revenue generation went on a rapid proportion even multiple alert and over lapping agency interventions have been adequately addressed.
Though importers say the reforms at Tin Can Island are biting but that the reduced clearance time have made their goods to hit the markets in good time. They also commend the Customs Area Controller for his collaboration with other agencies, a development that has helped to resolve issues at the port faster as well as fight illicit trade. Insiders says this is made easier by the motivation of officers across board, training and re-training as well as introduction of technological driven practices and digital technology to block leakages and so on.
Aside his humility, those who knew the state of economic sabotage and threats to the Nigeria’s economy, say Onyeka’s holistic approach to move Tin Can Island from a revenue hub to a strategic economic pillar of inestimable value for national protection, took the center stage. He acquired this with definitive, uncompromising, disciplined and collaborative leadership style, hence hitherto, Tin Can Island is not just a Customs Command for cargo clearance, it is known for its redefinition of Customs operations, modernisation and revenue generation.
His most outstanding achievement are – the fact that he and his management team has made Tin Can Island, Nigeria’s second largest sea port, the powerful overhaul of Tin Can Island Customs Command, a development that has fuse revenue generation with trade facilitation and national security into a united operational doctrine.
Also Onyeka`s administrative openness and collaboration with sister agencies as well as his engagement with stakeholders has helped to reduce friction, encourage engagements/feedbacks, the results are more trade friendly environment/ecosystem, discouragement of criminal tendencies and promotion of national growth through best practices by implementing / interpreting the Customs Act for positive impact/ overall growth, of the country in line with President Tinubu vision for the Nigeria Customs..
Also, in line with the President Tinubu renewed hope agenda, officers under the leadership of the CGC Adewale Adeniyi from whom Onyeka derives and carry out his task, has been sensitised on trade facilitation, fair and predictable procedures, areas of prioritisation, reduced dwell time, timeline for cargo release, port efficiency, modern inspection technologies, inter – agency co-ordination and so on and Onyeka, has so far shown that he is learning from the CGC and other top Senior Customs Officers.
For the Controller, Onyeka, his career in the Nigeria Customs Service began after successfully completing his 6-month mandatory training course at the Customs Training school at Ikeja in 1991. He was commissioned a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Customs, from where he has risen through the ranks to become one of the most intellectually admired officers in the Service today.
His first posting after training was to Seme Area Command, Lagos where he worked in the enforcement unit. He was later transferred to Jalingo Area Command, present day Adamawa/Taraba Area Command. Other notable Commands that he served include lilypond Export Command. In 2010, he got posted to the valuation unit where he began his long and meritorious journey in the Tariff and Trade department of the Service. Under the Tariff and Trade department, he served as officer in charge, system audit in valuation unit of Tin Can port Command, officer in charge and Don Climax Bonded Terminal, Tin Can port Command.
Upon his promotion to Deputy controller, he became the DC in charge of the valuation unit in Tin Can Island Port Area Command, from 2020 – 2022. He was later deployed to man the Federal Ocean Terminal, FOT, exit gate Onne, Custom Area Two Command, Rivers State before he was redeployed to Apapa Area Command as DC in charge of Apapa main exit gate from 2023 – 2024. He was appointed Acting Controller Tin Can Island Area Command until he was confirmed in 2025.
The concern of many stakeholders is that much has been achieved under the previous Controller and the present one, and the fear is that when Onyeka get elevated to a higher rank, will the expectations of many Nigerians be met with respect to Tin Can Island port especially the Tin Can Island Customs Area Command?
For now, Onyekas years of service in the Nigeria Customs Service shines like a northern star, and with his no choking policy, that has endeared him to many stakeholders and officers alike, thereby making the business at the port more environmentally friendly, he sure remains one of the men that Adewale Adeniyi, the nations No one Customs boss certainly would continue to count on for trade facilitation, increase revenue generation, commitment to Customs service and loyalty to senior officers, Besides, and his pragmatic leadership quality, patriotism and total commitment to the overall growth of Nigeria Customs under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, will certainly make Onyeka play among the first eleven whenever the CGC chooses his team.
Indeed, the years ahead, signal the beginning of another dimension of real transformation, digital growth of the entire Nigeria Customs and the emergence of a new sets of CGC’s good ambassadors in the service, whose eyes are set on making the Nigeria Customs service technological driven to the extent that human interface at the Customs Area Commands will be completely reduced and operations at all the Customs Area Commands made more efficient and a pride to the nation.