The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a historic revenue haul of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025 — more than double the ₦600 billion generated in the same period of 2023.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, attributed this surge to President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda under the Renewed Hope initiative. He made the remarks ahead of a State House documentary marking the president’s second anniversary.
“We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone,” Adeniyi said. “This is not due to higher import volumes. Imports have dropped due to foreign exchange constraints. What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement.”
Adeniyi said the increase was driven by enhanced technology, stricter enforcement against revenue leakages, and a renewed culture of accountability across Customs operations.
He revealed that the much-anticipated $3.2 billion E-Customs Modernisation Project is set to roll out soon.
“We’re laying the foundation to move from a manual, paper-based system to a fully digital service… Once fully deployed, we project it will add $250 billion in cumulative revenue over 20 years.”
The Customs boss also touted the newly launched Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, which grants compliant importers faster clearance.
“It’s about trust and efficiency. If you’re compliant, you get green-lane treatment. This is how modern customs systems work globally.”
Adeniyi disclosed that anti-smuggling operations have intensified, recovering ₦64 billion from undervalued or under-assessed imports in the past nine months.
“We’re no longer just chasing smugglers in the bush. We’re using data, surveillance drones, and port intelligence to act in real-time,” he added.
To further boost trade efficiency, the NCS is expediting the National Single Window — a one-stop digital platform for cargo clearance — reducing port delays from 21 days to as little as 7 days for compliant shippers.
He also highlighted progress in non-oil exports, noting a 38% increase in the export of solid minerals and agro products in 2024.
“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,” Adeniyi concluded.
