How Tinubu’s Reforms Drived Customs Revenue to N1.3 Trillion in Q1 2025 – CG Adeniyi
Nigeria’s Customs revenue has soared to an all-time high of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025—more than double the ₦600 billion generated during the same period in 2023—thanks to sweeping reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this milestone in a forthcoming State House documentary marking President Tinubu’s second year in office. According to him, the revenue jump occurred despite a decline in import volumes, a reflection of the deeper systemic and operational transformation within the Customs Service.
“What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement,” Adeniyi noted, emphasizing that the revenue success is rooted in strategic leadership and increased accountability across Customs commands.
Adeniyi credited key reforms such as the deployment of upgraded technologies, improved port operations, and enhanced enforcement efforts aimed at plugging revenue leakages. He also cited a cultural shift within the Service toward performance-driven delivery.
At the core of the transformation is the $3.2 billion E-Customs Modernisation Project, which promises to fully digitize cargo handling, surveillance, and payments across Nigeria’s ports and border posts. Once operational, the digital platform is projected to rake in up to $250 billion over the next 20 years.
“We are moving from a paper-based, manual operation to a smart, fully digital customs system,” Adeniyi explained.
Additionally, the NCS has launched the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme to expedite cargo clearance for compliant importers—aligning Nigeria with global trade facilitation practices and significantly reducing congestion at ports.
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“If you play by the rules, you get fast-track clearance. It’s about building trust,” he added.
Over the last nine months, the NCS has recovered over ₦64 billion from under-assessed imports while dismantling major smuggling networks at border points in Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto. These operations were bolstered by joint task forces working in sync with the Nigerian Army, DSS, and Police.
Data-driven intelligence, drones, and surveillance tools now guide the Service’s anti-smuggling operations, significantly increasing their effectiveness.
To improve trade facilitation and cut business costs, the Customs Service is also fast-tracking the National Single Window—a centralized digital portal that streamlines the operations of over 15 government agencies involved in cargo clearance. Clearance times at Lagos ports have already dropped from 21 days to as few as 7–10 days for compliant importers.
In support of the government’s drive to diversify the economy, the Service is also boosting non-oil exports. Adeniyi revealed that in 2024 alone, Nigeria exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agricultural produce through formal channels—representing a 38% year-on-year increase.
Internally, the NCS is transforming its workforce, with over 1,800 officers trained in data analytics, AI, and risk profiling, shifting the agency from routine inspections to intelligence-led operations.
“Customs is evolving into a smart, globally competitive institution. We’re no longer chasing smugglers in the bush—we’re staying ahead with data,” Adeniyi stated.
He concluded by reaffirming that the Service’s reforms are aligned with President Tinubu’s directive: close leakages, ease trade, and grow revenue—without overburdening Nigerians.
“The results are already speaking for themselves,” Adeniyi affirmed.
By PRNigeria
