The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has posted a record ₦7.2 trillion in revenue for the 2025 fiscal year, surpassing its annual target by a significant margin and highlighting the growing impact of tighter enforcement and digital reforms at the nation’s borders. The achievement was revealed by Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs, during celebrations marking International Customs Day in Abuja. The figure exceeded the service’s initial target of ₦6.5 trillion by roughly ₦697 billion, representing more than a 10 percent over-performance for the year.
Customs’ revenue haul for 2025 also marked a notable increase from the ₦6.1 trillion collected in 2024, underscoring a multi-year growth trend under the current leadership and reform agenda. The enhanced performance reflects stepped-up internal controls, greater use of technology, and a more assertive enforcement approach at ports and border entry points across the country.
Adeniyi highlighted that part of the revenue boost came from intensified seizures of prohibited and harmful goods. In total, Customs officers recorded more than 2,000 seizures in 2025, intercepting narcotics, counterfeit and substandard products with a combined estimated value of around ₦59 billion. The service also noted an uptick in wildlife trafficking interceptions, particularly at international airport checkpoints.
Despite the strong performance, Adeniyi acknowledged ongoing challenges. He explained that logistical bottlenecks at Nigerian ports remained a significant constraint, slowing down the movement of goods. These delays, he said, arise more from structural issues within the broader port system than from Customs processes alone. Addressing these obstacles, Adeniyi argued, will require closer collaboration between Customs, port authorities, and maritime operators to move cargo more efficiently.
The revenue gains were most visible at Nigeria’s busiest seaports. The Tin Can Island Port Command generated approximately ₦1.57 trillion by mid-December 2025, up sharply from around ₦1.25 trillion the year before. Frank Onyeka, the Area Controller at Tin Can, attributed this growth to improved coordination, intelligence-led operations, and strengthened compliance across key cargo categories such as bulk goods and used vehicles.
At Apapa Port, the country’s largest revenue-generating command, collections reached about ₦2.93 trillion in 2025, showing more than 20 percent growth year-on-year. Emmanuel Oshoba, Apapa’s Area Controller, credited the command’s results to disciplined manpower, stronger leadership, and expanded use of digital systems like the Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, which aims to reduce delays and enhance transparency in cargo processing.
Looking forward, Customs plans to broaden the national rollout of B’Odogwu and introduce high-capacity cargo scanners at strategic locations to heighten efficiency and strengthen border security. Adeniyi also unveiled the Trade Resilience Strategy, a diagnostic framework designed to make Nigeria’s trade environment more secure, predictable, and competitive on the global stage.
The record revenue figures reflect a significant turnaround for the Customs Service and position it as a critical engine of non-oil revenue growth for the Nigerian economy. With sustained reforms and improved operational coordination, the NCS aims not only to meet future targets but also to bolster trade facilitation while safeguarding the nation’s borders.
