By: Fredrick Ameh 

The Deputy Comptroller in charge of Escort at the Seme Area Command is marking another year with commendation for her service in the Nigeria Customs Service.

Deputy Comptroller Olukemi Idegbesor (OO Idegbesor), a senior officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), is celebrating her birthday, with tributes pointing to her dedication to duty and her approachable character.

Mrs Olukemi Idegbesor (OO Idegbesor ) currently heads the Escort function at the Seme Area Command, which oversees one of the country’s key corridors for cross-border trade and movement between Nigeria and its neighbours. Her role forms part of the operational framework through which the Service enforces customs regulations, facilitates legitimate trade and protects the nation’s economic interests.

Her career has also taken her through the Tin Can Island Area Command in Lagos, a major hub in Nigeria’s maritime trade network. Postings at such locations expose officers to port administration, cargo movement, compliance and the coordination needed for trade to run smoothly.

Although the demands of Tin Can Island and Seme differ, both require discipline, vigilance and professionalism, qualities that mark an officer’s understanding of the Service’s wider responsibilities.

Beyond rank and office, Mrs Idegbesor Olukemi (OO Idegbesor) has been noted for her warmth. Those who have encountered her describe a hardworking officer who is approachable and kind, qualities seen as valuable in a public institution where official duties are demanding.

Observers say such traits do not weaken authority or discipline and combined with professionalism, they build trust and foster constructive working relationships, which matters in an institution as operationally demanding as the NCS.

Nigeria’s maritime and border sectors rely on officers who carry out their assignments diligently. Their work supports a national system covering trade facilitation, regulatory compliance, revenue protection and the movement of goods through legitimate channels. Much of it happens away from public view but remains central to the country’s economic and administrative life.

Her career also highlights the role of women in these institutions. Women hold important positions across Nigeria’s maritime and border agencies, contributing experience, judgement and commitment. Their stories, the tribute notes, merit documentation as part of the evolving history of the institutions they serve, not simply because they work in a demanding field.

Well-wishers have used the occasion to wish Mrs Idegbesor good health, wisdom, fulfilment and continued success in her service.