It was a day of mixed feelings and nostalgia at the Kano/Jigawa Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service as Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar Zurmi, Best Customs Controller for 2025 handed over to Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu, who was recently deployed as Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command
On Zurmi’s watch ,the command recorded a remarkable ₦112,724,937,598.76 billion in revenue for 2025, marking a financial milestone.
Delivering his handover speech , Comptroller Zurmi revealed that the command’s 2025 revenue performance surpassed the ₦102,503,573,383.31 billion generated in 2024, attributing the growth to 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 ₦2.6 billion between January and November 2024 to an impressive ₦19.6 billion within the same period in 2025. According to the outgoing Controller, the gains were driven by the introduction of weekly Revenue Performance Appraisal Meetings, stronger collaboration among revenue units and the creation of a Revenue Recovery Team, which successfully tracked and recovered previously lost government revenue.
Beyond revenue, Comptroller Zurmi said the Command recorded unprecedented enforcement successes, including high-value seizures that attracted national and international attention. He described the interception of undeclared foreign currencies at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport as a landmark operation that strengthened Nigeria’s anti-money laundering framework and boosted the country’s global financial credibility.
The cumulative impact of these achievements earned the Kano/Jigawa Area Command multiple honours at the CGC 2025 Annual Dinner Night Awards, where the command emerged as:Best in Anti-Money Laundering Activities, Most Improved Command in Import Revenue Generation,Most Outstanding Command in Community Relations.
The Command, under Comptroller Zurmi also earned several other awards and within and outside the NCS including a coalition of private business stakeholders in Kano and Jigawa States where the former area controller was recently honoured
The outgoing Controller said all units of the Command were revitalised, with officers and men exhibiting renewed commitment, professionalism and confidence in the discharge of their statutory duties. He noted that stakeholder trust and public confidence, once fragile, were rebuilt through consistency, transparency and firm adherence to service values.
In the area of welfare and infrastructure, the Command implemented several initiatives aligned with the Comptroller-General’s work life balance policy. These included the provision of recreational facilities, children’s playgrounds at the Dakata Senior Officers’ Barracks, improved waste management systems and enhanced security architecture across offices and residential areas.
Handing over to the new Acting Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, Comptroller Abubakar expressed confidence in the Command’s readiness to sustain and surpass existing achievements, describing leadership as a sacred trust owed to God, the Service, stakeholders and the people of Kano and Jigawa States.
He expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the NCS Management, Zone B leadership, sister agencies and stakeholders for their support throughout his tenure.
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