The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded an unprecedented revenue collection of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, more than double the ₦600 billion gathered during the same period in 2023 — a milestone attributed to sweeping reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, made the disclosure in an upcoming State House documentary marking President Tinubu’s second year in office. He credited the surge in revenue not to increased imports, but to enhanced operational efficiency, improved transparency, and stricter enforcement measures across the service.
“Imports have actually declined due to foreign exchange challenges. What has changed is how we work — we are now more efficient, transparent, and focused,” Adeniyi said.
Adeniyi highlighted several factors behind the impressive performance, including upgraded technological systems, improved port operations, and a renewed culture of accountability within Customs commands nationwide. He confirmed that the Service is poised to launch the $3.2 billion E-Customs Modernisation Project, which aims to fully digitise cargo processing, surveillance, and payment systems across Nigeria’s ports and borders.
“We are moving away from paper-based procedures to a fully digital ecosystem. Once fully operational, we expect the E-Customs Project to generate $250 billion in cumulative revenue over the next two decades,” he stated.
Another major development is the rollout of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, which offers fast-track clearance for compliant importers.
Adeniyi said this approach aligns Nigeria’s Customs system with international best practice.
“If you’re compliant, you enjoy green-lane treatment. It’s about trust and creating a more predictable business environment,” he added.
The Customs boss also revealed intensified efforts against smuggling and revenue evasion. Over ₦64 billion has been recovered from under-assessed or undervalued imports in the past nine months, while notorious smuggling routes in Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto have been disrupted.
Joint border patrols with the Nigerian Army, DSS, and Police have also led to tangible results, he noted.
“We’re no longer chasing smugglers blindly. We’re using data, drones, and real-time intelligence. Leakages that once seemed systemic are now being plugged,” Adeniyi said.
In a move to cut trade costs and improve ease of doing business, the NCS is accelerating the deployment of the National Single Window — a digital portal that will integrate all regulatory agencies involved in cargo clearance.
“Right now, importers deal manually with up to 15 agencies. With the Single Window, it’s one platform, online. Clearance times at Apapa and Tin Can have already dropped from 21 days to just 7–10 days for compliant traders,” Adeniyi reported.
To support non-oil exports, the Customs Service has introduced fast-track lanes for agro-exporters and is collaborating with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to streamline export procedures. In 2024, Nigeria formally exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agricultural products — a 38% increase from the previous year.
“We are pushing exports like never before, and we’re aiming even higher in 2025,” he said.
He said internally, the Service is undergoing a quiet revolution, with more than 1,800 officers trained in areas such as advanced data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence.
“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 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.”