From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has achieved a landmark revenue collection of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, more than doubling the ₦600 billion recorded in the same period of 2023.
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi credited this unprecedented growth to transformative reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, as highlighted in an upcoming State House documentary marking the President’s second anniversary, according to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Adeniyi explained, “We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This is not due to higher import volumes. Imports have dropped due to foreign exchange constraints. What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement.” He stressed that the surge resulted from improved technological deployment, enhanced port operations, tightened enforcement on revenue leakages, and a renewed culture of accountability across Customs commands.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Customs Service is preparing to launch the $3.2 billion E-Customs Modernisation Project, which will digitize cargo processing, surveillance, and payment systems nationwide. “We’re laying the foundation to move from a manual, paper-based system to a fully digital service. The E-Customs Project is central to our future. Once fully deployed, we project it will add $250 billion in cumulative revenue over 20 years,” Adeniyi stated.
He listed further reforms to include the newly launched Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, which pre-vets importers to grant compliant businesses faster processing and reduce port congestion. “It’s about trust and efficiency. If you’re compliant, you get green-lane treatment. This is how modern customs systems work globally,” he said.
Adeniyi added that anti-smuggling efforts have intensified, with over ₦64 billion recovered from previously under-assessed or undervalued imports in the last nine months. Major smuggling rings at the Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto borders have been dismantled.
Adeniyi noted, “We’re no longer just chasing smugglers in the bush. We’re using data, surveillance drones, and port intelligence to act in real-time. Once systemic leakages are now being plugged.”
To ease trade and reduce costs, the NCS is fast-tracking the National Single Window rollout, a digital portal integrating all government agencies involved in cargo clearance. “Right now, you deal with up to 15 agencies manually. With the Single Window, you’ll do it all online, in one place. This will slash clearance time and costs,” Adeniyi explained. He added that clearance timelines at Apapa and Tin Can Ports have dropped from 21 days to 7–10 days for compliant importers.
The Customs Service is also promoting exports, especially non-oil commodities. Adeniyi revealed, “Last year, Nigeria exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agro commodities through formal channels, up by 38%. We’re targeting even more in 2025.” Fast-track lanes for agro-exports have been introduced in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Internally, over 1,800 Customs officers have been trained in advanced data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence to transform the agency into an intelligence-led organisation. “Customs is no longer just about physical inspection. We are becoming an intelligence-led organisation, and our officers are being retrained to match global standards,” Adeniyi affirmed.
Summing up, the Comptroller-General said, “The President gave us a clear directive: block leakages, facilitate trade, and raise revenue without burdening Nigerians. That is what we are doing. And the results are beginning to speak for themselves.”