The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says import duty exemption approvals reached N34 trillion in 2025, significantly reducing the revenue the agency could have generated for the government.
Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi disclosed this during an investigative session with the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja.
He explained that while Customs has improved revenue collection, government-approved duty waivers and fiscal policies continue to affect its earning capacity.
According to him, nearly 60 per cent of the approved exemptions were granted for duty-free importation of military equipment to support Nigeria’s security operations.
Other beneficiaries included imports of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, medical supplies, industrial machinery and food intervention programmes.
Adeniyi stressed that duty waivers should not be judged solely by their impact on revenue, noting that they are designed to promote national development, improve healthcare, support local industries and reduce economic pressure.
He, however, called for stronger government oversight to ensure companies and organisations benefiting from the waivers achieve the intended goals, including increased local production, affordable goods and improved public services.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Finance criticised the absence of several agency heads invited to the hearing.
Committee Chairman Senator Sani Musa warned that those who failed to appear must attend the next session or face sanctions in line with Senate rules.
