Customs Reforms Strengthen Trade, Revenue, Security – Group
The ongoing reforms at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are delivering gains in revenue generation, trade facilitation and border security, according to the Revenue Monitoring Group of Nigeria (RMGN).
The group said the Service’s growing reliance on digital technology, automation and intelligence-led enforcement has significantly improved its operations while reducing loopholes that previously encouraged revenue leakages.
In a statement issued in Abuja, RMGN President, Dr Ifeanyi Duruaku, and Secretary-General, Comrade Tor Lumun, said reforms introduced under Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had repositioned the NCS beyond its traditional revenue collection role.
According to the group, the reforms are increasingly making Customs a key institution in promoting economic growth, facilitating legitimate commerce and securing Nigeria’s borders.
RMGN identified the Unified Customs Management System and B’Odogwu platform as major components of the digital transformation, noting that they have helped simplify procedures, reduce manual intervention and improve the speed of cargo clearance at ports and border crossings.
The group also cited the National Single Window and other digital initiatives as important steps towards creating a more integrated trading environment by connecting relevant government agencies, reducing paperwork and making the movement of legitimate goods more efficient.
Beyond revenue and trade, RMGN said stronger collaboration between Customs and security agencies has enhanced the fight against smuggling, illicit financial flows and other cross-border crimes.
It noted that partnerships involving the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Department of State Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit have strengthened intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement.
The reforms have also coincided with a sharp improvement in Customs revenue. The Service collected ₦7.281 trillion in 2025, exceeding its target by more than ₦697 billion and representing about a 19 per cent increase from the ₦6.1 trillion recorded in 2024.
Customs has attributed the stronger performance to improved compliance, technology deployment, enforcement and measures designed to make legitimate trade easier.
RMGN further pointed to efforts to reduce cargo clearance delays, including a Time Release Study conducted at Tin Can Island Port. The study identified manual procedures, administrative bottlenecks and fragmented coordination as some of the factors slowing down cargo movement.
The World Customs Organization has said implementation of the study’s recommendations could cut clearance times by as much as 40 per cent, potentially reducing costs for traders while improving overall revenue efficiency.
The Service has also expanded its Authorized Economic Operator programme, giving compliant businesses access to faster and more predictable customs processes while enabling officers to concentrate enforcement efforts on higher-risk shipments.
RMGN described the unanimous re-election of Adeniyi as Chairperson of the World Customs Organization Council in July 2026 as further recognition of Nigeria’s growing influence in international Customs administration.
The group urged the Federal Government and private-sector stakeholders to maintain the reform drive, stressing that sustained investment in digital infrastructure, intelligence sharing and modern border-management systems would be crucial to strengthening Nigeria’s trade competitiveness and economic growth.
