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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated ₦7.28 trillion in revenue in 2025, surpassing its projected target for the year.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday while presenting the service’s performance scorecard at an event marking the 2026 World Customs Day. He said the revenue exceeded the initial projection of ₦6.5 trillion by about 10 per cent.
Adeniyi said the 2025 operations demonstrated in practical terms what it means to “protect society”, noting that customs officers, working alongside other security agencies, disrupted several criminal supply chains before they could impact communities.
He revealed that officers at the Apapa Port intercepted 16 containers of prohibited items valued at over ₦10 billion. The seizure included narcotics, expired pharmaceutical products and concealed firearms. At the airports, customs officers also intercepted more than 1,600 exotic birds trafficked without the required CITES permits, preventing a major wildlife crime that threatened biodiversity and Nigeria’s international obligations.
Across land borders, the service seized illicit drugs, counterfeit medicines worth hundreds of millions of naira, ammunition and other prohibited items transported through illegal routes. Adeniyi said these operations, though often short-lived in public attention, had lasting impact by reducing drug exposure, limiting the flow of weapons to criminals, preventing the circulation of fake medicines and protecting endangered species.
Overall, the NCS recorded more than 2,500 seizures nationwide, with a combined value exceeding ₦59 billion. The seizures covered narcotics, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, wildlife products, arms and ammunition, petroleum products, vehicles and substandard consumer goods. According to the service, these actions prevented serious social harms such as addiction, unsafe medical treatment, violent crime, environmental degradation and treaty violations.
The Customs boss stressed that enforcement must go hand in hand with trade facilitation, noting that a modern customs administration must balance risk detection with the smooth flow of legitimate trade.
He highlighted the launch of the Time Release Study (TRS) as a major reform initiative, describing it as a step towards making Nigeria’s ports more secure, efficient, predictable and globally competitive. Adeniyi said the study marked a shift from opinion-driven reforms to evidence-based, data-driven policy making.
The TRS conducted at Tin Can Island Port, he said, provided the most comprehensive assessment of cargo clearance performance in recent years. While it showed that examination processes were relatively efficient, it also revealed that prolonged idle periods—caused by fragmented scheduling, manual documentation and poor coordination—significantly delayed clearance times.
According to the service, validated data from over 600 declarations now clearly shows where bottlenecks occur, enabling customs to pursue reforms that strengthen border security while improving trade efficiency and competitiveness.
