Senate Commends Customs Over ₦7.3tn Revenue, Backs Reform Agenda
The Senate Committee on Customs has commended the Nigeria Customs Service for generating ₦7.3 trillion in 2025, exceeding its ₦6.5 trillion target.
The Committee gave the commendation during a retreat themed “Legislative Oversight in the Context of NCS Modernisation and Reforms” organised for the Senate Committee on Customs on Wednesday in Abuja.
Opening the session, Committee Chairman, Senator Jibrin Isah, pledged stronger legislative backing to sustain reforms and modernisation in the Service.
“We must commend the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for surpassing its revenue target in 2025. There has been a quantum leap in revenue generation, improved trade facilitation, and robust anti-smuggling activities,” he said.
“On behalf of the Senate, I want to appreciate the Comptroller-General, members of management and staff of the Nigeria Customs Service for this impressive performance,” he added.
Senator Isah urged the Service to identify and address challenges in order to achieve even stronger results in 2026 for national development.
“Where you require legislative backing, please do not hesitate to call on us. At the end of this retreat, my colleagues will be better ambassadors of the Nigeria Customs Service,” he assured.
He also congratulated the Comptroller-General on his re-election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation Council, describing it as “a major feat for Nigeria and proof of our growing recognition in global customs administration.”
In his keynote address, Adeniyi emphasised the importance of building familiarity between legislators and the Service beyond formal accountability sessions.
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“An institution that meets its legislature only across a table of accountability will never be fully understood by it, and an oversight function built on that acquaintance alone is weaker than it needs to be,” he said.
He highlighted the Service’s achievements, including collecting ₦7.27 trillion in 2025, exceeding targets by 10.24 per cent, and ₦3.35 trillion between January and May 2026, as well as a reduction in smuggling activities.
However, he cautioned against relying solely on figures, reiterating the need to remain focused on reforms for sustainability.
“Revenue growth in a period of currency adjustments can flatter an administration that has done very little. What matters is whether the growth rests on better systems or on favourable arithmetic. Our story rests on systems,” he said.
Adeniyi outlined the essence of modernisation in customs administration.
In his words: “By modernisation, we mean the replacement of discretion with rules. Every point at which an officer exercises personal judgment is a point of vulnerability. Modernisation reduces those points and replaces them with risk rules, automated valuation references, and data-driven targeting that produce the same answer regardless of who is working behind the desk.”
He credited the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 for providing the legal foundation for reforms such as electronic processing, advance rulings, authorised economic operator status, and sustainable funding mechanisms.
“You are not observing our reform from outside it. You offered the condition for it, and for that, we say a very big thank you,” he told the senators.
Adeniyi urged legislators to focus oversight on systemic outcomes rather than isolated incidents, while promising to remain open to critique.
“Ask what the release time was, not how many meetings were held about it. Engage us on the exemption regime. A substantial volume of trade enters under waivers and concessions. Whether these concessions still serve their purpose is a legislative question, and we welcome your attention,” he said.
