At Tin Can Island, A Data-Driven Turnaround Is Reshaping Nigeria’s Trade Gateway with Compt. Joe Anani

_How Comptroller Joe Anani’s “Intelligence-First” Manning Is Turning Enforcement Into Revenue and Security_  

By Lod Onyeji 

On the evening of August 5, 2026, the Nigeria Customs Service [NCS] paraded two 40-foot containers at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos. Inside: 8,720 pieces of Delta-8 cannabis cookies worth ₦308.8 million, 515.2kg of cannabis gummies valued at ₦40.7 million, and knocked-down components of JoJeff pump-action rifles concealed in a third container. 

It was not just another seizure. It was the latest data point in a larger story unfolding at Nigeria’s second-busiest port: the transformation of enforcement into economic strategy under Comptroller Joe Anani, Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port Command.

From Risk alerts to revenue; the Anani model is what we intend to look at and others. 

When Comptroller Anani assumed command of Tin Can Island Port Customs Command, he inherited a port long plagued by revenue leakages, congestion, and security breaches. His mandate was simple but ambitious: make Tin Can a net contributor to national fiscal health without compromising security.

1. Intelligence-Driven Interventions = Higher Compliance  

The July 8, 2026  of Container No. TEMU 184536/9 aboard MV VELIKA illustrates the shift. Flagged by NCS’s risk management system and placed under surveillance on “credible intelligence,” the container yielded concealed rifle parts. On July 31, a suspect was arrested at Migfo Bonded Terminal with documentary and financial evidence, including a ₦10,000 transfer linked to the consignee.

This was not luck. It was a process. Under Anani, Tin Can moved from random checks to targeted, intelligence-led examinations. Result: fewer delays for compliant traders, more hits on high-risk cargo.

2. Revenue Yield: Turning the Port Around.  

While seizure values make headlines, it is revenue collection that defines a port’s contribution to GDP. Tin Can Island handles an estimated 35% of Nigeria’s containerized imports. 

Empirical records from NCS headquarters show that since Anani’s deployment as a senior officer and now as Area Controller:

- Import duty collection at Tin Can rose by 42% year-on-year in FY2025, outpacing the national port average of 18%.

- Average cargo clearance time dropped from 14 days to 7.3 days, according to NCS trade facilitation metrics, reducing demurrage costs for businesses by an estimated ₦22 billion annually.

- Post-clearance audit recoveries increased 3-fold, as data analytics now flag under valuation and misclassification before goods exit.

“Comptroller Anani treats every container as a data set,” a senior NCS official noted. “If you can predict risk, you can protect revenue and security at the same time.”

That acumen traces back to his senior officer days at Apapa and Port Harcourt commands, where he pioneered the use of cargo manifest cross-referencing with banking records — a practice now scaled nationally and credited with recovering over ₦15 billion in underpaid duties between 2023-2025.

3. National Economic Impact

Tin Can’s improved performance matters beyond Lagos. Nigeria’s 2026 budget relies on non-oil revenue for 58% of funding. Customs contributed ₦4.49 trillion in 2025, and Tin Can alone accounted for ₦1.1 trillion of that.

By tightening the net on illicit goods — like the ₦349.4 million in cannabis products seized in the latest operation — Anani’s team is also protecting public health and reducing the cost of drug-related crime, estimated by UNODC at 1.2% of Nigeria’s GDP.

Meanwhile, faster clearance times have improved Nigeria’s World Bank Logistics Performance Index score for port efficiency, a key factor in attracting FDI to manufacturing and retail.

At the press briefing led by Comptroller-General BA Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, the Tin Can seizures were presented as proof of concept of actualization. 

“The interceptions of pump-action rifle parts and cannabis-infused goods underscore our unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria's borders,” Adeniyi stated. Two suspects are in custody while the principal suspect remains at large.

But behind the enforcement narrative is an economic one. Every container diverted from the black market is revenue protected. Every compliant trader who clears in 7 days instead of 14 is a business that can reinvest.

The manning of the future by Comptroller Anani’s approach has three pillars now being studied by NCS training command:

1. Data First: Risk management systems flag, humans verification.

2. With stakeholder alignment weekly and engagement with terminal operators, freight forwarders, and sister agencies  friction is highly reduced. 

3. Accountability from post-seizure tracking, arrest to prosecution ensure deterrence.

The result of this is that Tin Can Island is no longer seen just as a transit point. It is increasingly viewed as a revenue and security anchor for the national economy.

As Nigeria pushes to diversify from oil, ports like Tin Can are where policy meets practice. Under Comptroller Joe Anani, the numbers suggest that practice is finally paying.

_The Nigeria Customs Service says investigations are ongoing and further prosecutions will follow. Members of the public are urged to provide credible intelligence to support anti-smuggling efforts._