Nigeria’s customs administration recorded a major fiscal milestone in 2025, as revenue collections by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) exceeded expectations to close the year at ₦7.28 trillion, representing a 10 per cent outperformance of its original target.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the figures while presenting the Service’s annual performance report at an event commemorating the 2026 World Customs Day. According to him, the Service had initially projected total collections of ₦6.5 trillion for the year, a benchmark that was surpassed through a combination of enforcement efficiency, improved compliance, and operational reforms.
Adeniyi explained that the past year offered a practical demonstration of the Customs theme of “protecting society,” highlighting the Service’s expanding role beyond revenue generation into border security, public safety, and environmental protection.
He revealed that officers across various commands disrupted several organised criminal networks before their illicit consignments could penetrate local markets. At the Apapa Port alone, Customs operatives intercepted 16 containers loaded with prohibited goods valued at more than ₦10 billion. The seizures reportedly included narcotics, expired pharmaceutical products, and illegally concealed firearms.
At Nigeria’s international airports, Customs officers foiled a large-scale wildlife trafficking operation involving over 1,600 exotic birds being moved without the required Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) permits. The interception, Adeniyi said, prevented serious biodiversity loss and safeguarded Nigeria’s standing under international environmental agreements.
Along Nigeria’s land borders, enforcement teams also seized large volumes of illicit narcotics, counterfeit medicines, ammunition, and other prohibited items routed through concealed transit corridors. Adeniyi noted that while such operations may not dominate headlines for extended periods, their long-term impact remains significant.
According to him, the seizures translated into fewer young Nigerians being exposed to harmful substances, fewer weapons flowing into criminal hands, reduced circulation of fake medicines, and fewer endangered species removed from their natural habitats.
Overall, the Nigeria Customs Service recorded more than 2,500 seizures nationwide in 2025, with a combined value exceeding ₦59 billion. These seizures spanned narcotics, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, wildlife products, arms and ammunition, petroleum products, vehicles, and substandard consumer goods.
The Service stressed that these enforcement actions prevented tangible societal harm, including addiction, unsafe medical treatment, violent crime, subsidy abuse, environmental degradation, treaty violations, and avoidable loss of life.
However, Adeniyi emphasised that robust enforcement must be balanced with trade facilitation, noting that an efficient customs system should intercept high-risk consignments without impeding legitimate commerce.
In this context, he highlighted the significance of the recently launched Time Release Study (TRS), describing it as a critical step toward making Nigeria’s ports and border gateways more secure, efficient, predictable, and globally competitive.
He explained that the study marks a shift from opinion-based reforms to evidence-driven policy decisions, replacing complaint-led interventions with data-backed solutions.
The Time Release Study conducted at Tincan Island Port represents the most detailed assessment of cargo clearance performance in recent years. While the findings confirmed that examination processes themselves are relatively efficient, the study also exposed structural inefficiencies.
According to the report, excessive idle periods caused by fragmented scheduling systems, manual documentation, and weak inter-agency coordination significantly extend cargo clearance timelines and undermine Nigeria’s competitiveness.
Adeniyi noted that Customs now has validated clearance timelines covering more than 600 declarations, combining manual records with digital platform data. This has enabled the Service to pinpoint exactly how long it takes for cargo to move from examination booking to physical exit from port gates, as well as where bottlenecks are concentrated.
Armed with this data, the Customs boss said the most effective way to protect Nigerian traders and the wider economy lies in strengthening both border security and procedural reforms.
 exceeded expectations to close the year at ₦7.28 trillion, representing a 10 per cent outperformance of its original target.){kind=link}