The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a major revenue milestone in 2025, generating a total of ₦7.281 trillion, marking one of its strongest financial performances in recent years.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while addressing the 2026 World Customs Day celebration. He highlighted how reforms, technology adoption, and improved stakeholder engagement contributed to the agency’s performance.
The revenue collection surpassed the approved 2025 target of ₦6.584 trillion by ₦697 billion, representing a growth of over 10 per cent above expectations. Compared to the ₦6.1 trillion collected in 2024, the figure also reflects a year-on-year increase of about 19 per cent.
Adeniyi said, “Even as we protect society and reform procedures, we must also sustain the financial health of the state. In 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service collected a total of ₦7.281 trillion, exceeding the target of ₦6.584 trillion with a positive variance of ₦697 billion, representing growth of over 10 per cent against the target.”
He explained that the surge in revenue was largely due to structural and operational reforms rather than aggressive enforcement, adding, “When compared to 2024 collections, total revenue rose from ₦6.1 trillion to ₦7.28 trillion, an increase of approximately ₦1.18 trillion, or about 19 per cent year-on-year.”
The Comptroller-General dismissed any notion of self-praise, stressing that the figures demonstrate the effectiveness of the agency’s reform agenda.
He further noted that the growth in revenue was achieved without hindering legitimate trade, emphasizing that compliance, digital tools, better data usage, and disciplined enforcement were key to the performance. “The gains came not from arbitrary enforcement or burdening legitimate traders, but from improved compliance, better data use, digital tools, and disciplined enforcement. More importantly, this performance was achieved while deepening collaboration with the private sector and upholding facilitation commitments,” Adeniyi added.
The NCS also maintained its trade facilitation mandate, particularly in line with regional and global trade agreements, while achieving record revenue.
The Nigeria Customs Service remains a major non-oil revenue-generating agency, tasked with trade facilitation, border security, revenue collection, and suppression of smuggling.
Elijah Adeyemi
