ACG Olomu: The Golden Exit of A Trailblazer

BY FUNMI ALUKO

On Monday morning, September 8, 2025, the Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service stood still. Not in silence, but in reverent awe. The air was thick with admiration, the hall brimming with applause, as one of Nigeria’s finest public servants and ace customs operative, Assistant Comptroller General Babatunde  Olomu fsi, Ph.D,  took his final bow as Customs Area Controller of Apapa Area Command, the nation’s flagship command.

With the poise of a statesman and the humility of a servant-leader, Olomu stepped to the podium, not to recount mere duties, but to unveil a legacy carved in excellence, innovation, and unshakable integrity. His words, though modest, painted the portrait of a man whose tenure was nothing short of transformational.

A Tenure That Redefined Possibility

ACG Olomu and Comptroller Oshoba during the taking over and signing out ceremony

From the moment he assumed office on May 6, 2024, Olomu didn’t just take charge, he took flight. With sleeves rolled up and vision sharpened, he rallied his officers, stakeholders, and sister agencies into a formidable force. Together, they shattered ceilings and rewrote the history books.

Under his watch, Apapa Port Command achieved the unimaginable: a record-breaking ₦2 trillion in revenue — the first in the annals of the Nigeria Customs Service. Not once, not twice, but thrice did the command break single-day revenue records, peaking at an astonishing ₦18.9 billion on March 14, 2025.

By August, the command had amassed ₦214.9 billion in one month, powered by the revolutionary B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, a brainchild of modernization and resilience.

Champion of Trade, Architect of Progress

Truth be told, Olomu’s reign wasn’t just about numbers, it was about nation-building. Under his stewardship, Apapa Port became the launch pad for Nigeria’s historic entry into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In July 2024, Nigerian goods sailed to five African nations, and by November, another landmark shipment reached Kenya — a testament to Nigeria’s rising stature in intra-African commerce.

Officers and men of Apapa Command who turned out in their numbers to bade Olomu farewell

Thus, he didn’t just facilitate trade; he reinvented it. Faster cargo clearance, seamless dispute resolution, and a culture of compliance became the new normal. Importers, exporters, freight forwarders — all found in Olomu a partner, not a gatekeeper.

The Sentinel of Integrity

While revenue soared, Olomu never lost sight of enforcement. Smugglers met their match in a man who turned Apapa Port into a fortress of legality. In just 15 months, 75 seizures, including fake medicaments, narcotics, and contraband, which were executed with precision. His message was clear: Apapa was no playground for illegality.

 A Leader of the People

Stakeholders including leading clearing agents

Olomu’s leadership was not confined to the customs long room or management meetings. His open-door policy, accessible phone line, and unwavering engagement with stakeholders made him a man of the people. Government agencies, private operators, and the press found in him a listener, a problem-solver, and a bridge-builder.

A Farewell Fit for a Legend

As he announced his elevation to Assistant Comptroller-General, the room erupted — not in surprise, but in celebration. It was the natural next step for a man whose service had transcended duty and entered the realm of legacy.

R-L: Ace MC, Assistant Comptroller Usman. A and Command PRO, SC Tunde. A driving the event

He thanked God, his officers, the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and every stakeholder who stood by him. But true to Olomu’s fashion, he didn’t make it about himself. He urged all to support his successor, Comptroller Oluwadare Oshoba, a gentleman officer poised to build on the towering foundation he was leaving behind.

The Verdict of History

ACG BO Olomu didn’t just serve, he soared. He didn’t just lead, he inspired. And as he walks into his new role, he leaves behind not just a command, but a cathedral of achievement in a blaze of glory.

Apapa Port will remember him not as a man who passed through, but as a force that passed the torch — blazing. Indeed, he came, he saw, and he conquered; with grace, grit, and glory.