₦1.3 Trillion and Counting: Tinubu’s Reforms Fuel Revenue Surge in Q1 — Customs CG
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a historic revenue of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, more than double the ₦600 billion generated during the same period in 2023.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, credited this significant leap to the sweeping reforms implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. His remarks are featured in an upcoming State House documentary celebrating the President’s second year in office.
According to Adeniyi, the record revenue was not driven by a spike in import volumes, which have actually declined due to foreign exchange constraints. Instead, he pointed to systemic changes within Customs operations.
“We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This is not due to higher import volumes. Imports have dropped due to foreign exchange constraints. What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement,” the CG said.
He also revealed that the long anticipated E-Customs Modernisation Project is now set to launch. The $3.2 billion initiative will overhaul 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 in cumulative revenue over 20 years,” he added.
The CG stated that the service is also onboarding pre-vetted importers through its newly launched Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme. This initiative according to him, prioritizes compliant businesses for faster clearance and reduces 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 said.
On enforcement, Adeniyi noted that Customs has stepped up its anti-smuggling efforts, recovering over ₦64 billion from previously under-assessed or undervalued imports in the past nine months. He disclosed that several notorious smuggling networks at Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto borders have been dismantled.
New joint border patrols involving the Nigerian Army, DSS, and Police are also delivering results.
"We're no longer just chasing smugglers in the bush. We're using data, surveillance drones, and port intelligence to act in real-time. Once systemic leakages are now being plugged,” he said.
To further reduce business costs and simplify trade, the NCS is fast-tracking the National Single Window, a digital portal to unify all government agencies involved in cargo clearance.
"Right now, you deal with up to 15 agencies manually. With the Single Window, you'll do it all online, in one place. This will slash clearance time and costs,” he explained, noting that clearance times at Apapa and Tin Can Ports have already dropped from 21 days to just 7–10 days for compliant traders.
Adeniyi also spoke on the fast-tracking of agro-exports, disclosing that new fast-track lanes have been introduced in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to support the government's push for non-oil exports.
"We're promoting exports aggressively. Last year, Nigeria exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agro commodities through formal channels, up by 38%. We're targeting even more in 2025,” he said.
He further explained that Internally, the Customs Service is undergoing transformation with more than 1,800 officers trained in data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence.
"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.
Summing up, he said the President had given a direct mandate to close revenue gaps, ease trade, and increase income without passing the burden to Nigerians.
"The President gave us a clear directive: block leakages, facilitate trade, and raise revenue without burdening Nigerians. That is what we are doing. And the results are beginning to speak for themselves.”
0 Comments