How KLT Customs Is Raising the Bar on Revenue, Compliance and Operational Discipline

BY FUNMI ALUKO
At the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Lukman Adigun appears to be proving that effective Customs administration is not necessarily about making the loudest noise, but about getting the fundamentals right.
Since assuming duty as Acting Area Controller, Adigun has brought to KLT a leadership philosophy anchored on revenue optimization, operational discipline, intelligence-driven enforcement and trade facilitation; in what can be summed up as the Adigun effect.
The emerging results are beginning to give substance to what was initially described as an ambitious turnaround plan.
The most recent figures provide perhaps the clearest indication of the direction of travel. In June 2026, the Command generated N19.404 billion, compared with N14.363 billion recorded in June 2025. The difference of N5.041 billion represents a 35 per cent year-on-year increase.
For a Command operating within the highly competitive and structurally challenged Lagos port environment, the figure is significant. But perhaps more important than the number itself is the management philosophy behind it.
From Revenue Target to Revenue Culture
Adigun came to KLT with a reputation for revenue mobilization, having previously distinguished himself at the Port Harcourt Area II Command, Onne, where his ability to identify revenue leakages and optimize collections earned him recognition as a formidable revenue officer.
At KLT, that experience appears to have translated into a more systematic approach. Rather than treating revenue as an isolated monthly target, the Command under Adigun is placing emphasis on the integrity of the assessment process, compliance by stakeholders, effective cargo examination and plugging operational loopholes capable of undermining government revenue.
His June performance suggests that the strategy is beginning to produce results. The challenge, however, is no longer simply to record a revenue spike but to institutionalize the processes responsible for it. This is where Adigun’s emphasis on operational discipline becomes important.
Discipline as a Management Tool
Observers of the Command’s activities say one of the more noticeable features of the Adigun administration is his attention to details. His leadership style has been described as firm but approachable, with an insistence that officers understand their responsibilities and that established procedures are followed.
That approach is significant in an organisation where the quality of revenue collection and enforcement can often depend on the smallest operational details.
At KLT, the emerging culture appears to revolve around accountability, closer supervision and more deliberate deployment of officers. The objective is straightforward: minimize leakages, improve efficiency and ensure that legitimate trade is not unnecessarily obstructed while non-compliant transactions receive the appropriate scrutiny.
Enforcement With Intelligence
Adigun’s KLT is also demonstrating that revenue generation and enforcement are not mutually exclusive. The Command’s interception of a 40-foot container containing expired disposable vape products is instructive.
The container, numbered TIIU4739360, was found to contain 484 cartons of disposable vape products, equivalent to 182,340 pieces, with products bearing expiry dates ranging from 2022 to 2026.
The consignment had a Duty Paid Value of N809.698 million. Beyond the monetary value of the seizure, however, the interception raises a broader public-interest issue.
By preventing expired products from entering the Nigerian market, the Command was not merely enforcing Customs regulations; it was also addressing a potential public-health concern. This reflects the wider responsibility of Customs as both a revenue and border-management institution.
Adigun has consequently continued to stress intelligence-driven operations, effective risk management and detailed cargo examination as critical elements of the Command’s enforcement strategy.
Compliance Rather Than Confrontation
Another emerging feature of the KLT administration is its emphasis on compliance. For Adigun, enforcement appears to work best when legitimate traders understand the rules and are encouraged to comply with them.
This explains the emphasis being placed on the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme and the Advance Ruling system. Both instruments are intended to make Customs procedures more predictable for compliant businesses while allowing the Service to concentrate enforcement resources on areas of higher risk.
For importers and licensed Customs agents operating through KLT, the message is increasingly clear: compliance is not merely an obligation; it is becoming a strategic advantage.
Stakeholder Engagement
Adigun’s approach has also involved engagement with freight forwarders, terminal operators, importers and other stakeholders. This is important because Customs efficiency does not exist in isolation.
A terminal’s competitiveness depends on the combined performance of Customs, terminal operators, shipping interests, freight forwarders and other government agencies. By encouraging dialogue and seeking greater stakeholder understanding of Customs procedures, the Command is attempting to reduce the friction that often characterizes port operations.
The desired outcome is a balance between facilitation and enforcement. That balance remains one of the most difficult challenges confronting modern Customs administrations globally.
More Than a Scorecard
The temptation in assessing a Customs Command is to focus almost exclusively on revenue and seizures. But the more interesting story emerging from KLT is whether Adigun can turn his early gains into a sustainable operating culture.
A 35 per cent year-on-year increase is impressive, but the real test is whether such performance can be maintained over successive months.
Similarly, a major seizure demonstrates vigilance, but the bigger achievement would be creating a risk-management system capable of consistently identifying problematic cargo before it enters the Nigerian market. That is where leadership becomes more consequential than statistics.
The Road Ahead
Adigun’s initial turnaround blueprint identified revenue optimisation, compliance and facilitation, as well as structural renewal as key pillars. Several months into the exercise, elements of that blueprint are already visible.
While revenue is rising, enforcement remains active. In the same vein, while stakeholder engagement is receiving attention, operational discipline appears to be strengthening.
Thus, the next phase will require deeper institutionalization of these gains. KLT also faces structural challenges that cannot be solved by Customs alone. Questions around terminal capacity, cargo volumes, direct vessel calls, infrastructure and the broader competitiveness of lighter-terminal operations remain important.
Nevertheless, Customs efficiency can provide a critical foundation. If Adigun succeeds in sustaining the present momentum, KLT may increasingly be judged not merely by how much revenue it generates or how many seizures it records, but by how effectively it combines revenue collection with trade facilitation, compliance and national economic protection.
That would be the real measure of the Adigun Effect. For now, the figures suggest that something is changing at KLT. The bigger question is whether the emerging culture can become permanent.