ABUJA – In a celebration of exemplary leadership and national service, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede was honoured as Customs Icon of the Year 2025 during the spectacular 7th Leadership Excellence Awards. The landmark event, held at the Nigerian Air Force NAF Banquet Hall Abuja and endorsed by the African Union and African Film Institute, recognized ACG Babandede’s extraordinary contributions to revenue generation and national security through his transformative work in the Nigeria Customs Service.
The 7th LEEX Awards, widely regarded as Africa’s most credible online media awards, gathered an illustrious array of leaders including Governor Alex Otti, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi and business leaders Tony Elumelu, and Tonye Cole. Among these distinguished honorees, ACG Babandede’s recognition highlighted the critical role of customs administration in strengthening national economic security and public safety.
ACG Babandede’s leadership at the Port-Harcourt II Area Command in Onne has set new benchmarks for customs excellence nationwide. Under his strategic command, the port achieved an unprecedented revenue generation of ₦634 billion in 2024, surpassing its annual target of ₦618 billion and nearly doubling the previous year’s collection. This remarkable fiscal performance represents one of the most outstanding achievements in the history of the Nigeria Customs Service, demonstrating how effective leadership can transform revenue streams and fortify national economic resilience.
Beyond revenue excellence, ACG Babandede has distinguished himself as a formidable protector of public safety. His intelligence-led operations at Onne Port dismantled major smuggling syndicates and intercepted staggering quantities of contraband that threatened national security. Among his most notable seizures were 844 pieces of assorted rifles, 112,500 rounds of live ammunition, and over 77 million tablets of Tramadol. Additionally, his command intercepted more than 13 million bottles of Codeine cough syrup and over 50 million tablets of other illicit and expired medicines – representing one of the largest drug interdictions in recent customs history.
Now serving as Zonal Coordinator for Zone ‘A’ in Lagos, ACG Babandede continues to drive his philosophy of “Consolidation, Collaboration, and Innovation” across customs operations. His extensive professional training across Nigeria, Europe, and Africa, including Intellectual Property Rights Training in Mombasa, Kenya, has equipped him with the global perspective needed to transform Nigeria’s customs operations for the 21st century.
The Customs Icon of the Year award, determined through a transparent nationwide poll monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria, recognizes not only ACG Babandede’s record-breaking achievements but his unwavering commitment to balancing trade facilitation with uncompromising national security. In honoring his accomplishments, the 7th LEEX Awards celebrates the vital role of customs excellence in building a safer, more prosperous Nigeria – a testament to leadership that delivers both economic strength and public protection.
