The Nigeria Customs Service said it intercepted 76 seizures of animal/wildlife products valued at N5.93bn in 2024.

In a statement on Monday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this while speaking at the International Customs Day 2025.

The event was themed, ‘Customs delivering on its commitment to efficiency, security, and prosperity’.

Adeniyi added that the service has intensified its response to evolving narcotics threats.

He stressed that the NCS has particularly addressed the shift from traditional narcotics to pharmaceutical and synthetic drug abuse.

Adeniyi, however, mentioned that the move resulted in 105 seizures

of narcotics and illicit drugs by the service in 2024.

“Our enforcement actions against wildlife trafficking, illegal timber trade, and hazardous waste smuggling saw significant success, with 76 seizures of animal/wildlife products valued at N5.93bn,” Adeniyi said.

Speaking further, he said the occasion provided the service a vital platform to evaluate its achievements in the preceding year, “reinforce our commitments, and strategically position ourselves for the evolving demands of customs administration across nations.”

He stated that the event perfectly encapsulated the foundational mandates of the NCS.

The CGC mentioned that the service’s strategic approach harmoniously balances trade facilitation with robust security measures, directly contributing to Nigeria’s economic advancement.

According to him, the successful implementation of the Advanced Ruling System provided binding decisions on classification and valuation before shipment arrival.

He added that the platform also reduced clearance delays and disputes.

“The remarkable success of our AEO programme, which has achieved an average release time of 43 hours for certified companies, representing a 66.9 per cent reduction in cargo clearance time is another recent instance,” he said.

Adeniyi pointed out that over the years the service has modernised its processes to make the trading experience soothing for Nigerians.

He reiterated that in 2024, the NCS announced the indigenous development and deployment of its clearance platform, ‘B’Odogwu’, adding that the platform has already processed transactions worth billions in revenue within its pilot phase.

He stated that the service’s unprecedented achievement of N6.1tn in revenue, coupled with significant security interventions, shows their commitment to these mandates.

Adeniyi emphasised that the revenue which exceeded targets by 20.2 per cent, represented a 90.4 per cent year-over-year increase.

Adeniyi emphasised that in pursuit of operational efficiency, the service has made significant strides in modernising its processes and procedures.

“Our commitment to efficiency is evidenced by several key achievements over the years,” he said.

The customs boss highlighted that in terms of global security, there is increasingly a complex interplay between illicit trade, technological advancement, and transnational criminal networks.

He, however, stated that in addressing these challenges, the service, like other customs administrations, focused on several critical risk domains identified by the World Customs Organisation.

Adeniyi averred that the service has strengthened its technological infrastructure through “the integration of geospatial technology and advanced detection methods, deployment of sophisticated scanning systems at key ports, enhanced intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities, implementation of technology-driven risk assessment protocols.”

On trade facilitation, he said, “Our trade facilitation efforts were equally impressive, managing imports valued at N60.29tn and exports of N136.65tn, while strategically providing N1.68tn in concessions to boost economic growth and industrial development across various sectors.”

He added that these achievements were the highlights of the service’s contribution to national prosperity through both revenue generation and trade facilitation.