Good people are known throughout history by the good work they do for the people around them, nation and, by extension, humanity and posterity. This is the best way to describe Comptroller Frank Onyeka, a brilliant officer who heads the Tin-Can Island Port Command in Lagos.
Barely 10 months in office as a comptroller at the Tin-Can Island Port Command, he demonstrated a great passion, dedication and resilience as he introduced policies and programmes aimed at increasing revenue collection of the command. In August 2025 alone, the command recorded a significant revenue collection of N159 billion. This was attributed to decisive policy actions undertaken by the command.
For instance, the introduction of technology drove the effective implementation of B’odogwu Trade Platform which helped greatly in streamlined trade facilitation thereby improving revenue performance.
The effectiveness of B’Odogwu Trade Platform is attributed to result-oriented leadership qualities of Comptroller Onyeka whose unrelenting commitment in the command in ensuring that the effort of his boss, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, who invested so much in the introduction of B‘Odogwuto streamlined trade facilitation in order to boost revenue collection.
Teamwork and collaboration is one of the key areas that Comptroller Onyeka is known for by those who are privileged to work with him. Either as officers or clearing agents, Comptroller Onyeka has an in-built leadership style of open-door policy for easy accessibility to all.
These have helped him greatly in his endeavour as an officer and as an individual in achieving utmost result in any assignment given to him.
He brought to bear this leadership quality in Tin-Can Island Port Command, which has contributed greatly to his success recorded within the short period of time. Teamwork and collaboration, especially in an organisation like NCS – which involves officers and other stakeholders – requires involvement of both parties for smooth operation in order to enhance effective revenue collections.
Recognising this key component, as well as the unalloyed support enjoyed so far from his boss, CGC, Bashir, has made his work outstanding and easy. This has also made the NCS boss’ overall leadership of the NCS commendable.
One of the factors for good performance is motivation, which plays a key role in improving productivity in any organisation. Leaders lead by example because there is an adage that says you cannot give what you don’t have. Comptroller Frank is one of the finest officers who, before taking over the leadership of Tin-Can Island Port Command, was well known for hard work, dedication and passion for NCS, especially towards ensuring that value addition to the service.
The success recorded so far by Comptroller Onyeka in Tin-Can Island Port Command in less than a year in office is as a result of the support of the CGC who many officers have described as a God-sent saviour to Customs officers’ families. The Customs boss successfully introduced and implemented many policies and programmes aimed at improving the welfare and providing a conducive working environment for officers.
Some of the key highlights of CGC Adeniyi is ensuring that staff welfare was in order so as to motivate officers to do their work well.
Some of the welfare packages include the annual promotion examination which has helped officers greatly in their career progression. The era of officers working 4-5 years before writing a promotion examination to the next rank is over. Just this year 2025 alone, promotion came out twice.
Those who wrote a promotion exam last year and did not pass were provided another opportunity early this year, when the result came out a month ago. Many of those who lost out last year got it this year. This has never happened in the history of the NCS. This gesture has generated a lot of public love and appreciation for our President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government for appointing CGC Adeniyi.
President Bola Tinubu’s kind consideration for extension of one year tenure for him in office was indeed in national interest. In the same vein, the CGC’s posting of a highly experienced, hard-working and a well dedicated officer, Comptroller Onyeka to oversee the affair of Tin-Can Island Port Command was a laudable one.
The fruit of that appointment is the success being recorded in terms of a huge success in the command, a journey which Comptroller Onyeka often described as an ongoing drive in achieving a desired goal of the command and the NCS in general.
Social corporate responsibility is one of the policy focuses of Comptroller Onyeka. He did not only place his priority on revenue collection alone but, he extended his priority to the downtrodden. This is being done by embarking on community engagement and empowerment programmes.
This entails providing educational materials, support to the pupils, health care facilities to the communities, in line with the introduction of Customs CARES initiative launched by the CGC Adeniyi meant to provide basic amenities for the host communities.
This is a clear demonstration of a good leader who values and cares for the welfare of the downtrodden in the society. This gesture has, no doubt, contributed greatly to the successes of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, which is aimed at transforming the living conditions of Nigerians.
