By Samuel Dickson, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated ₦7.27 trillion in revenue between January and May 2026, surpassing its target of ₦6.5 trillion and recording a 10.2 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2025.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the performance on Monday while defending the Service’s 2026 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Customs.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi East), described the impressive revenue performance as evidence that ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration are yielding positive results. He said the President’s decision to extend Adeniyi’s tenure by six months would help consolidate the gains already recorded in revenue generation, trade facilitation, and customs modernisation.
According to Isah, the administration’s support for reforms has strengthened investor confidence, expanded economic activity, and improved government revenue. He added that sustained collaboration between the Senate Committee and the Customs Service has enhanced revenue collection while accelerating infrastructure projects that facilitate trade and economic growth.
Adeniyi attributed the strong revenue performance to ongoing operational reforms, particularly the full deployment of the Unified Customs Management System (B’Odogwu) across all ports, which has improved customs administration, trade processing, and revenue collection.
He noted, however, that revenue growth was achieved despite several policy and economic challenges. These included the suspension of the proposed excise duty on telecommunications services, the non-implementation of the Green Tax, and duty waivers granted on essential imports such as food, medical supplies, machinery, and petroleum products as part of the Federal Government’s economic relief measures.
The Comptroller-General explained that imports covered by the waivers were valued at about ₦34.5 trillion, while only four of the eleven proposed excisable products were implemented during the period, limiting expected excise revenue.
He also cited global disruptions, including the Russia–Ukraine conflict and tensions involving Iran, the United States, and the Strait of Hormuz, as factors that affected cargo volumes and customs revenue projections.
Looking ahead, the Service said it would intensify revenue recovery efforts, deepen digital reforms, modernise operations, and expand capacity-building initiatives with international partners, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The NCS has proposed a 2026 budget featuring ₦421.77 billion for personnel costs, ₦300.77 billion for overhead, and about ₦1.65 trillion for capital projects aimed at improving infrastructure, ICT systems, operational equipment, and project delivery.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustained revenue generation under legislative oversight.
