The Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a major revenue milestone in 2025, generating a total of N7.281tn, marking one of its strongest financial performances in recent years.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while delivering an address at the 2026 World Customs Day celebration, where he highlighted the impact of reforms, technology deployment and enhanced stakeholder engagement on the agency’s performance.
He said the revenue outturn exceeded the Service’s approved annual target of N6.5tn by N697bn, reflecting a positive variance of more than 10 per cent above expectations.
According to him, the revenue figure represents a growth of over 10 per cent above the target, and a year-on-year increase of about 19 per cent compared to the N6.1tn collected in 2024.
He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, even as we protect society and reform procedures, we must also sustain the financial health of the state. I am pleased to report that in 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service collected a total of N7.281tn, exceeding the target of N6.584tn with a positive variance of N697 billion, representing a growth of over 10 per cent against the target.”
Providing further details, the Customs boss explained that the service recorded a significant improvement over the previous year, attributing the surge to structural and operational changes rather than aggressive enforcement.
“When compared to 2024 collections, total revenue rose from N6.1tn to N7.28tn, an increase of approximately N1.18tn, or about 19 per cent year-on-year,” he stated.
Adeniyi was, however, quick to dismiss any notion of self-praise, stressing that the figures were presented as proof that the agency’s reform agenda was delivering concrete results.
“We present these figures not as self-congratulation, but as evidence that reform is yielding tangible outcomes,” he noted.
He noted that the improved revenue was achieved without stifling legitimate trade, a concern often raised by importers and manufacturers.
“The gains came not from arbitrary enforcement or the burdening of legitimate traders, but from improved compliance, better data use, digital tools, and disciplined enforcement. More importantly, this performance was achieved while deepening collaboration with the private sector and upholding facilitation commitments,” the Comptroller-General explained.
According to him, the Customs Service also balanced revenue generation with its trade facilitation mandate, particularly under regional and global trade agreements.
PUNCH Online reports that the Nigeria Customs Service is a major non-oil revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government, responsible for trade facilitation, revenue collection, border security and suppression of smuggling.
