The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a significant revenue growth, of N1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this in an upcoming State House documentary to mark President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary.
He attributed the revenue growth to transformative reforms under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi, this achievement is attributed to transformative reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We collected N1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This was not due to higher import volumes. Imports had dropped due to foreign exchange constraints. What have changed are efficiency, transparency, and enforcement,” he said.
The customs boss announced the upcoming launch of the E-Customs Modernisation Project, a $3.2 billion initiative that would digitise cargo processing, surveillance, and payment systems across Nigeria’s ports and borders.
“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 dollars in cumulative revenue over 20 years,” Adeniyi said.
The NCS has launched the AEO Programme, which allows pre-vetted importers to enjoy faster processing and reduced 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,” Adeniyi explained.
”The customs service has intensified its anti-smuggling operations, closing long-standing revenue leakages and dismantling major smuggling rings at various borders.
”Over N64 billion was recovered from previously under-assessed or undervalued imports in the last nine months.
”To ease trade and reduce business costs, the NCS is fast-tracking the roll-out of the National Single Window, a digital portal that would integrate all government agencies involved in cargo clearance,” he stated.
Adeniyi also said clearance timelines at Apapa and Tin Can Ports had already dropped from 21 days to 7 to 10 days for compliant importers.
”The agency has trained over 1,800 officers in advanced data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence, transforming the service 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 said.
Adeniyi stated that the president’s directive to block leakages, facilitate trade, and raise revenue without burdening Nigerians was being implemented, with results beginning to speak for themselves.
