Tinubu’s Reforms Drive Nigeria Customs Revenue to ₦1.3 Trillion in Q1 2025 — CG Adeniyi

Tinubu’s Reforms Drive Nigeria Customs Revenue to ₦1.3 Trillion in Q1 2025 — CG Adeniyi

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 collected during the same period in 2023.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, attributed the landmark achievement to sweeping reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He disclosed this in a forthcoming State House documentary marking the President’s second year in office.

According to Adeniyi, the revenue boost was not driven by increased import volumes — which have, in fact, declined due to foreign exchange challenges — but by enhanced operational efficiency, transparency, and tighter enforcement measures across Customs formations.

“We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This is not because imports increased — they’ve actually dropped. What changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement,” Adeniyi said.

He revealed that the NCS is preparing to launch the $3.2 billion E-Customs Modernisation Project, a transformative initiative that will digitise cargo processing, surveillance, and payment systems at ports and border posts 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,” he said.

The Service has also introduced the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, designed to offer fast-track clearance to compliant importers and exporters, thereby decongesting ports and improving turnaround time.

“It’s about trust and efficiency. If you’re compliant, you get green-lane treatment. That’s how modern customs systems work globally,” Adeniyi added.

The CG disclosed that intensified anti-smuggling operations and aggressive efforts to plug revenue leakages have resulted in the recovery of over ₦64 billion from under-assessed and undervalued imports in the past nine months. Several smuggling networks along major borders including Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto have been dismantled.

Joint border patrol operations in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Police have also yielded significant results, according to Adeniyi.

“We’re no longer just chasing smugglers in the bush. We’re using data, surveillance drones, and real-time port intelligence to track and respond. What used to be systemic leakages are now being plugged.”

To further ease trade and reduce business costs, the NCS is accelerating the rollout of the National Single Window — a digital portal that will unify all government agencies involved in cargo clearance.

“Today, importers deal with as many as 15 agencies manually. With the Single Window, everything will be done online, in one place. Clearance time and cost will drop significantly,” he noted, adding that clearance timelines at Apapa and Tin Can Ports have already improved from 21 days to 7–10 days for compliant users.

On the export front, Adeniyi revealed that Customs is prioritising agro-exports with newly established fast-track lanes and ongoing collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Formal non-oil exports, particularly solid minerals and agro commodities, rose by 38% to over ₦340 billion in 2024 — a figure expected to rise further this year.

The CG also spoke on internal reforms within the Customs Service, noting that over 1,800 officers have received training in data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence to reposition the agency as an intelligence-driven, globally competitive 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,” he said.

“The President gave us a clear directive: block leakages, facilitate trade, and raise revenue without increasing the burden on Nigerians. That’s exactly what we are doing — and the results speak for themselves,” Adeniyi concluded.

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