The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it collected ₦1.75 trillion in income within the first quarter of 2025, surpassing its goal by ₦106.5 billion and recording a 29.96 per cent enhance in comparison with Q1 2024.
The announcement was made in a press release posted on the their official X account on Thursday, April 24.
“These outcomes substantiate our efficient measures to curb income losses whereas streamlining compliant commerce,” Comptroller-Common of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, stated.
“The 29.96 per cent annual enhance and regular month-to-month collections affirm our technique is working.”
Adeniyi famous that January noticed the very best month-to-month income at ₦647.88 billion, an 18.12 per cent enhance over the goal and a 65.77 per cent rise in comparison with January 2024. February and March additionally exceeded their targets, persevering with the optimistic pattern.
In enforcement operations, the Service made 298 seizures price ₦7.7 billion in Obligation Paid Worth (DPV). Objects confiscated included 135,474 luggage of rice, 65,819 litres of petroleum merchandise, ₦730 million price of narcotics, and wildlife merchandise valued at ₦5.6 billion.
“From rice to wildlife, these seizures exhibit our focused strategy,” Adeniyi stated.
“We stay dedicated to refining our enforcement methods by means of intelligence-led operations, technological development, and strengthened inter-agency cooperation.”
The NCS processed 327,928 import declarations in Q1, a rise of 5.28 per cent over the identical interval final yr.
These declarations coated items weighing almost 5 billion kilograms with a CIF worth of ₦14.8 trillion. Whereas the variety of export declarations declined, export volumes surged by 348 per cent.
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“This information clearly suggests Nigeria’s accelerating transfer in direction of bulk commodity exports,” Adeniyi acknowledged, “whereas sustaining constant whole export worth—reflecting each altering commerce patterns and improved processing effectivity.”
He additionally highlighted key milestones within the NCS modernisation drive, together with the continued rollout of the B’Odogwu customs clearance platform and the launch of the Authorised {Economic} Operators (AEO) Programme, designed to hurry up processing for compliant merchants.
As a part of its neighborhood improvement effort, the NCS launched its “Customs Cares” initiative, aimed toward supporting schooling, healthcare, and social welfare throughout Nigeria.
“Customs Cares represents a structured, scalable strategy to neighborhood improvement, reworking company duty into tangible enhancements,” Adeniyi stated.
On meals safety, the CGC defined the Service’s function in implementing responsibility waivers on important meals staples to assist decrease costs.
“This mixture of present and previous exemptions helps clarify the regular enchancment in meals affordability. The advantages of responsibility aid emerge progressively however accumulate to make meals extra reasonably priced,” he stated.
Nonetheless, challenges stay. Adeniyi pointed to trade charge volatility, with 62 recorded adjustments in Q1, and ongoing smuggling actions.
“We proceed to adapt our methods to fight more and more subtle smuggling networks,” he acknowledged.
Trying forward, the CGC stated the Service will keep targeted on reform, innovation, and delivering outcomes.
“We’re not simply accumulating figures, we’re shaping the way forward for commerce and safety in Nigeria,” Adeniyi concluded. “The numbers present we’re delivering.”