Customs targets N11trn through Adeniyi’s technology-led reforms

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is on track to achieve its ambitious 2026 revenue target of 11 trillion naira, propelled by a strategic focus on technology-led reforms, streamlined trade facilitation, and robust border security measures. Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi, revealed that the service generated a substantial 4.03 trillion naira in the first half of 2026 alone. This figure represents a significant leap compared to the same period in 2025 and places the NCS well ahead of its mid-year projections. Adeniyi attributed this improved performance to the deliberate removal of human discretion from core customs processes, replacing manual interventions with standardized rules, risk-based systems, and automated valuation references to effectively block revenue leakages. "Modernisation within the Service is aimed at replacing officers’ discretion with standardised rules, risk-based systems, automated valuation references, and data-driven targeting to reduce vulnerability in customs operations," Adeniyi stated. "We removed human discretion, deployed technology, and built trust with compliant traders. When you do that, revenue will grow exponentially without hurting business." To further enhance efficiency, the NCS has adopted Time Release Studies to measure and reduce cargo clearance times at ports and borders. This data-driven approach is credited with cutting delays, lowering costs for businesses, and improving Nigeria's standing in global trade facilitation indexes. On the security front, Adeniyi highlighted the deepening inter-agency collaboration with bodies such as the Army, Navy, DSS, EFCC, and NFIU. These coordinated operations across land, sea, and air borders are crucial in tackling smuggling, illicit financial flows, and wildlife trafficking, leading to significant interceptions of pangolin scales, ivory, and other wildlife products. Adeniyi emphasized that intelligence-led enforcement is now the standard for the Service, underscoring the NCS's evolving role beyond mere revenue collection. "The Nigeria Customs Service is not just about collecting duties," he said. "We are facilitators of trade, generators of data for national planning, and gatekeepers against smuggling. Our job is to ensure that Nigeria’s borders work for Nigeria – for revenue, for security, and for prosperity."

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Modernisation within the Service is aimed at replacing officers’ discretion with standardised rules, risk-based systems, automated valuation references, and data-driven targeting to reduce vulnerability in customs operations.