Customs Generates ₦658.6bn Revenue In September — NOA DG

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, has said that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated a total of ₦658.6 billion in revenue in September 2025, reflecting the Service’s sustained fiscal performance and ongoing reforms.

Issa-Onilu disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the Monthly National Joint Security Press Briefing, organised by the NOA in collaboration with security, paramilitary, and regulatory agencies.

According to him, the performance underscores the Customs Service’s central role in advancing Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

“In the month of September, the NCS recorded a total revenue collection of ₦658,605,400,392. This figure demonstrates the Service’s sustained fiscal performance amid ongoing reforms and heightened enforcement efforts,” Issa-Onilu said.

“It reflects the cumulative contributions of various commands and operations aligning with the broader strategy to strengthen revenue mobilisation and minimise leakages across the system.”

The NOA boss highlighted that September was marked by strategic engagements, operational milestones, and collaborative initiatives that reinforced the Service’s commitment to transparency, efficiency, and institutional renewal.

Issa-Onilu disclosed that during the review period, the NCS held a high-level strategic meeting with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to deepen trade relations, promote policy alignment, and foster industrial growth.

“The engagement reinforced the Service’s reform agenda anchored on collaboration, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility for economic development,” he noted.

“It also reflected the Service’s recognition of the manufacturing sector as a key partner in national productivity and a driver of Nigeria’s non-oil revenue diversification efforts.”

In its drive to enhance trade efficiency, Issa-Onilu said the Customs Service introduced a One-Stop-Shop platform designed to minimise cargo clearance time, reduce procedural bottlenecks, and ensure seamless coordination among trade stakeholders.

On security operations, the NOA chief revealed that officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A intercepted firearms, industrial drones, and other prohibited items in the Southwest region.

“This operation exemplifies the Service’s vigilance, operational intelligence, and unwavering resolve to safeguard national borders against illicit trade and transnational threats,” he said.

“The interception further reinforces the Service’s dual mandate of trade facilitation and security enforcement, ensuring that legitimate trade thrives while threats to national safety are neutralised.”

Issa-Onilu added that the Customs Service also intensified its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts by supporting sister agencies and contributing to community development initiatives across its formations.

“These efforts reflect the Service’s understanding that security and trade are strengthened when institutions collaborate and communities are empowered,” he said.

He further noted that a recent commendation from the Board of Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON)served as external validation of the Customs Service’s professionalism, accountability, and institutional growth.

“The feat recorded in September stands as evidence that the Service is not merely evolving; it is setting new standards in institutional excellence, reform communication, and national service delivery,” he added.

In a related development, the NCS recently announced that it collected a total of ₦3.6 trillion in revenue between January and June 2025, a performance the agency described as exceeding expectations.

Following the strong showing, the Senate Committee on Customs in June raised the Service’s 2025 revenue targetfrom ₦6.58 trillion to ₦10 trillion, commending its improved fiscal discipline and operational reforms.