The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a historic revenue haul of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, more than doubling the ₦600 billion generated during the same period in 2023. Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, credited this surge to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sweeping economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking ahead of a forthcoming State House documentary marking the President’s second year in office, Adeniyi attributed the revenue milestone to improved operational efficiency, technological upgrades, and stricter enforcement against revenue leakages.
“We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This is not due to higher import volumes. Imports have actually declined due to foreign exchange challenges. What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement,” Adeniyi said.
He also revealed that the NCS is on the brink of launching the E-Customs Modernisation Project, a $3.2 billion initiative aimed at fully digitizing Nigeria’s cargo processing and payment systems.
“The E-Customs Project will replace our manual, paper-based systems with a fully digital infrastructure. Once fully deployed, we expect it to generate $250 billion in cumulative revenue over the next 20 years,” he explained.
Adeniyi highlighted the rollout of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, which fast-tracks processing for compliant importers, thereby reducing congestion at Nigeria’s ports.
“We are creating a system of trust. Compliant importers now benefit from green-lane treatment — a hallmark of modern customs operations worldwide,” he said.
He also detailed the Service’s intensified anti-smuggling operations, reporting that ₦64 billion has been recovered from previously undervalued or under-assessed imports over the past nine months. Key smuggling routes in Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto have been dismantled through coordinated efforts with the Army, DSS, and Police.
“We’re no longer chasing smugglers in the bush. We now rely on data, drones, and real-time intelligence to plug systemic leakages,” Adeniyi said.
To further streamline trade, the NCS is fast-tracking the rollout of the National Single Window, a digital portal that consolidates all agencies involved in cargo clearance into one online system.
“Today, importers engage with up to 15 agencies manually. With the Single Window, everything will be done online in one place. This will drastically cut costs and clearance times,” he added, noting that clearance at Apapa and Tin Can Ports has already dropped from 21 days to 7–10 days for compliant shippers.
On the export front, Adeniyi said the Service is facilitating faster processing for agro-exports and working with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to support the government’s non-oil export agenda. In 2024, Nigeria exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agro products, a 38% increase from the previous year.
Internally, the NCS has begun retraining over 1,800 officers in data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence to transition into a more intelligence-driven agency.
“Customs is evolving into a world-class, intelligence-led organisation. Our officers are being equipped to meet global standards,” Adeniyi said.
He reaffirmed President Tinubu’s mandate to block leakages, ease trade, and grow revenue without imposing additional burdens on Nigerians. “The results are beginning to speak for themselves,” he concluded.