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By Uche Usim
Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar Zurmi’s tenure at the Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service ended with numbers and reforms that speak loudly.
On his watch, the command recorded a historic N112.7 billion in revenue, tightened compliance across the trading ecosystem and disrupted illicit financial flows through Northern Nigeria’s busiest commercial hub.
In this interview, the Controller, recently celebrated as best Controller of the year 2025, reflected on how stakeholder engagement, technology-driven processes and inter-agency collaboration helped clean up trade, boosted collections and repositioned Kano as a more transparent, efficient centre of commerce.
He also opens up on the risks, reforms and leadership choices that defined his stewardship.
How did you reset Kano/Jigawa Customs when you assumed office?
Glory to God Almighty for giving us the strength, the wisdom, ability and capacity to discharge our responsibilities as citizens of Nigeria and as Customs Officers serving the nation. I resumed as Area Controller in Kano/Jigawa Command precisely on the 3rd of February, 2025.
Upon assumption of office, we engaged our own internal Customs Officers and stakeholders and we brought the information of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeyemi, his mantra, anchored on a tripod :Consolidation, Innovation and Collaboration.
We designed our own, recognizing the issue of generational gap within the service, the issue of reform, sustainability, continuity and transfer of mantle of leadership to the upcoming generation. In doing that, we embraced the change in attitude. We looked at capacity building, stakeholder engagement and sensitization in order to be abreast with international best practices.
To the glory of God, it has worked and Kano Jigawa Area Command in terms of customs processes and procedures have started to wear a new look, worthy of recognition.
How is Customs helping Kano sustain its status as northern Nigeria’s trading nerve-centre?
The role of Customs globally, nationally and in Kano is similar; Trade facilitation, revenue generation and suppression of smuggling. These multi-faceted roles are equally carried out in Kano.
Kano is a center of commerce, good people, good environment with thriving economy, willing to change, willing to adapt to changes and adopt innovation. Therefore, we leverage on technology provided by the Nigeria Customs Service Management, all the platforms and here we are. We are getting better results.
You were honoured for cracking down on money laundering, what did you intercept and who was arrested?
Upon assumption of duty, the day I took over, less than two hours after, I was summoned by the Comptroller General of Customs along with other Controllers manning international airports in Nigeria.
We went to Abuja, we held a meeting with NFIU officials, EFCC officials and the Comptroller General made a statement that is touching and heartbreaking. The way we are seen internationally in relation to anti-money laundering issues, Nigeria was admitted into a grey list with negative consequences attached to it and he said we have done it before and he believes we can do it.
He instructed us to go back and arrest the issue of money laundering cases within our area of responsibilities. In that regard, upon arrival at Kano/Jigawa Area Command after the meeting, I went to the international airport, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, where I invited all stakeholders that have dealings with international travels from the FAAN, DSS, EFCC, Police, Customs at the airport, travelling agencies and airport operators.
We held a meeting and I encouraged everyone to bring a perspective about their jobs in relation to anti-money laundering activities within the airport. We made presentations and we all agreed that issues of anti-money laundering activities at any international airport in Nigeria is domiciled with Nigeria Customs Service and I took ownership from declaration of currencies above the threshold of $10,000 or other negotiable instruments to statistics generation and above all, the utilisation of scanner for all luggages to be examined.
The fallout was the interceptions we recorded at various times. Worthy of note is the interception of $1,154,900, $135,000, $86,500, $560 CFA France, €200, €420 among others. Individuals were arrested, investigated and transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for further legal actions.
Conviction was sought. So by and large, the outcome of the modest efforts, our collective efforts with other agencies, both private and government agencies is that today, Nigeria has been pronounced as exiting the grey list, which means the space is safer for international relationships when it comes to the issue of anti-money laundering.
Tell us how technology and modernisation impacted on your success here
With the information and communication technology adopted by the service, for over two or three decades we have had experiences of graduating from ASYCUDA to NICIS Il and what we have today. It is evolving and the utilisation has been promising. Our officers were exposed to both local and national training and capacity building, just as we engage our stakeholders within the command.
Various platforms have been created, adopted and utilised by the management of the Nigeria Customs Service and today, in Kano, like any other command, these modernisation efforts have manifested and yielded results. Just recently, the CGC introduced the Advanced Economic Operator, AEO.
We have gone round the business community, we engaged them, we informed them of the facility, their advantages and the promise of efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery. We are hoping that very soon, some of our business community members will be admitted into Authorized Economic Operator like other commands within the shores of Nigeria.
Let’s talk money: How did revenue perform on your watch?
Revenue generation is a core function of Nigeria Customs Service mandate. The command has so far recorded a modest achievement. We achieved a remarkable N112,724,937,598.76 billion in revenue as at the last day I left
The command’s 2025 revenue performance surpassed the N102,503,573,383.31 billion generated in 2024. The growth was made possible through institutional reforms, transparency driven management and renewed operational discipline.
A major highlight of the revenue was the Kano Free Trade Zone (KFTZ), where collections rose sharply from N2.6 billion between January and November 2024 to an impressive N19.6 billion within the same period in 2025
In comparison with the corresponding period, January to October 2024, the sum of N85,331,417,454.63 was generated.
In the corresponding period of January to October 2025, the sum of N93,923,070,435.29 was collected representing an increase of 10.1%.
At the Kano Free Trade Zone, in January to October 2024, the sum of N2,602,659,390.00 was realised. In the corresponding period of January to October 2025, the sum of N17,774,218,835.70 was collected representing an increase of 582.93% in terms of revenue at Kano Free-Trade Zone.
You have a thriving Free-Trade Zone. Kano has a dry port, bonded terminals and other accompaniments of trade, including factories. What has been their compliance level, especially the entire business community so far?
The command has one inland dry port called Dala Inland Dry Port and the command supervises two Free-Trade Zones. One, the Kano Free-Trade Zone owned by NEPZA and that of the Jigawa Free-Trade Zone supervised by the Jigawa State Government.
That of Jigawa is yet to pick up their activities, but Kano Free-Trade Zone has taken off fully. For the enterprises, manufacturing activities are going on, trading and warehousing and services as licensed by NEPZA and the revenue was remarkable.
Between January to October 2024 at the Kano Free-Trade Zone they recorded a revenue of N2.6 billion corresponding to the period, January to October 2025, they recorded over N17 billion.
Give us an update on excise operations. What has been the contribution to factories to your success?
With the current economy at Kano/Jigawa Area Command, and Kano being the center of commerce, they have six excisable factories. They have many companies and factories which are captured in the Net that they pay excise duties to the Federal Government.
In 2024, from January to November, these factories put together collected the sum of N5,753,451,825 while in the corresponding period of 2025, January to October, the sum of N7,004,123,189 was collected, representing 31% increase when compared to previous year.
We have brought customs closer to the people with clearer interpretation of government policies for ease of understanding.
