The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated ₦3.35 trillion in revenue in the first quarter of 2026, representing 30.25 per cent of its approved ₦11.074 trillion revenue target for the year.

The development leaves the Service with a balance of ₦7.724 trillion to realise before the end of the fiscal year.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Wale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Wednesday during a retreat organised for the Senate Committee on Customs in Abuja.

The retreat was themed, “Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms.”

The Senate had approved the NCS‘s ₦11.074 trillion revenue target in July, following the agency’s impressive performance in 2025, when it generated ₦7.277 trillion, surpassing its revenue target by 10.24 per cent.

Adeniyi attributed the sustained growth in revenue to the sweeping reforms and modernisation initiatives implemented by the Service.

He, however, cautioned against attributing the improved revenue performance solely to prevailing economic conditions, insisting that the gains were driven by structural reforms rather than favourable exchange rate movements.

“These are not the figures of an administration in difficulty. But I want to be careful about what those numbers prove.

“Revenue growth in a period of currency adjustment can flatter an administration that has done very little. What matters is whether the growth rests on better systems or on favourable arithmetic.

“I put it to you that ours rests on systems, and the purpose of this retreat is to let you examine that claim rather than accept it from me,” he said.

The Customs boss also highlighted Nigeria’s growing international recognition, noting that the NCS now chairs the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council.

According to him, the position reflects global confidence in Nigeria’s customs reforms rather than the size of its economy.

“Today, Nigeria holds that chair not because of the size of our economy but because of the direction of our reforms. When our peers across 186 customs administrations look at Nigeria Customs today, they see an administration that chose to modernise and successfully did so,” he stated.

Explaining the essence of customs modernisation, Adeniyi said the reform agenda was aimed at replacing discretionary decision-making with technology-driven processes based on rules, risk management and data analytics.

He described the ongoing Trade Modernisation Project and the deployment of the B’Odogwu digital platform as critical milestones in transforming customs operations from paper-based procedures to a fully automated system that promotes transparency, accountability and efficiency.

According to him, automation ensures that every customs decision is digitally recorded, making delays traceable and reducing opportunities for abuse.

He added that the transition to digital operations also requires a shift in legislative oversight, urging lawmakers to focus less on individual transactions and more on evaluating the effectiveness of customs systems, risk management frameworks, valuation databases, cargo clearance timelines and the cost-effectiveness of statutory waivers and exemptions.

“The most valuable thing this Service can offer your oversight is not access to individual decisions but access to the data and the design,” Adeniyi said.

He noted that stronger oversight of customs systems, rather than isolated incidents, would have a greater impact on trade facilitation, revenue generation and national economic development.

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