The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that its revenue collections for 2025 reached ₦7.28 trillion, surpassing the projected target of ₦6.5 trillion by 10%. This achievement was revealed by the Comptroller General of the NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, during an event to mark the 2026 World Customs Day on Monday.
Adeniyi highlighted that the impressive revenue collection reflects the service’s continued commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and supporting economic growth through efficient customs operations. He pointed out that the past year demonstrated how customs officers “protect society” by disrupting illegal activities and protecting the nation’s interests.
Key Customs Operations and Achievements
Throughout the year, the NCS conducted several high-profile operations that led to significant seizures. At the Apapa Port, officers uncovered 16 containers of prohibited goods valued at over ₦10 billion. These containers included narcotics, expired pharmaceuticals, and concealed firearms. In addition, at Nigerian airports, customs officers intercepted over 1,600 exotic birds being trafficked without proper permits, halting a wildlife crime operation that could have violated international conservation agreements.
Customs also seized illicit narcotics and counterfeit medicines worth millions of naira at land borders, alongside ammunition and other prohibited items trafficked through covert routes. Across the country, NCS officers made over 2,500 seizures, removing harmful and prohibited goods worth more than ₦59 billion from circulation. These seizures helped prevent serious societal harm, such as addiction, unsafe medical treatments, environmental degradation, and the spread of violent crime.
A Modern Approach to Customs Operations
The NCS emphasized that while vigilance and border security remain critical, modernization is essential for facilitating trade without compromising safety. In this light, the NCS recently launched the Time Release Study (TRS), a major step toward improving the efficiency and competitiveness of Nigeria’s trade gateways. The TRS, conducted at the Tincan Island Port, is a comprehensive evaluation of the clearance process and has highlighted both positive trends and areas for improvement.
The study revealed that while Nigeria has the capacity to clear goods quickly, excessive idle periods, often caused by fragmented scheduling, manual documentation, and poor coordination, delay the clearance process unnecessarily. The NCS now has precise data on clearance times, which will inform future reforms aimed at enhancing the speed and efficiency of goods movement, while still ensuring border security.
Looking Forward
The NCS stressed that the future of customs operations in Nigeria lies in balancing security with trade facilitation. With evidence-driven reforms based on the TRS findings, the service aims to make Nigeria’s customs operations globally competitive and more efficient, ultimately fostering economic growth and improving Nigeria’s trade standing on the international stage.
