Customs Projects N9trn Revenue, Surpasses 2025 Target By 11%

The comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has projected revenue collections of about N9 trillion for the Service in 2026, as the agency intensifies trade facilitation reforms and expands the deployment of technology to curb cargo diversion and revenue leakages.
Adeniyi, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists, said the final revenue target would be unveiled after consultations with the appropriation committees of the National Assembly.

According to him, the Service has continued to witness improved compliance from stakeholders, noting that more than N100 billion was recovered from traders who voluntarily returned to regularise underpaid duties after reviewing their records.
The CGC described the development as unprecedented, attributing it to enhanced transparency, improved automation, and sustained engagement with operators in the trading ecosystem. He vowed that the Service would sustain the trend in 2026 and beyond.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Customs boss also revealed that the Service exceeded its 2025 revenue target by about 11 per cent.
He linked the performance to reforms that have made trade processes easier and more predictable, thereby boosting cargo throughput and encouraging voluntary compliance among importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, clearing agents, and freight forwarders at ports and border stations.
On border operations, Adeniyi confirmed the reopening of the Seme Border, describing it as strategic to Nigeria’s ambition to serve as a regional transit corridor.

He explained that the decision followed engagements among authorities in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, as well as consultations involving Niger, culminating in approval for transit cargo movements along the Kébé route.
He stressed that Nigeria was fulfilling its obligations to support landlocked neighbouring countries by allowing transit goods destined for Chad and Cameroon to pass through its territory.
However, he assured that tighter technological controls would be deployed to ensure that such consignments are not diverted into the domestic market.

Adeniyi further stated that transit operations from major seaports, including Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port, would continue with enhanced monitoring systems aimed at improving revenue generation and strengthening national security.
The CGC pledged that the 2026 strategy of the Service would prioritise sustained trade facilitation, deeper deployment of technology for risk management and cargo tracking, and stronger partnerships with the trading community.
He expressed confidence that these measures would not only support the N9 trillion revenue projection but also reinforce Nigeria’s position as a regional trade hub in West and Central Africa.