Nigeria Customs Celebrates Landmark Achievements in Trade Facilitation, Security on Int’l Customs Day
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) commemorated International Customs Day 2025 with a ceremony at the Customs House in Abuja on Monday, 27 January, celebrating its remarkable strides in trade facilitation, border security, and economic growth under the theme, “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity.”
Delivering his keynote address, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted the Service’s impressive revenue collection of N6.1 trillion in 2024, surpassing its target by 20.2% and reflecting a staggering 90.4% year-on-year increase.
Adeniyi attributed the achievement to strategic reforms, advanced technologies, and the indigenous B’Odogwu customs clearance platform, which has processed transactions worth billions of naira.
He further detailed the NCS’s trade facilitation initiatives, including the Advanced Ruling System and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which have significantly streamlined operations.
These programmes, he noted, contributed to a 66.9% reduction in cargo clearance time for certified AEO companies, thereby boosting efficiency in Nigeria’s trade ecosystem.
On security, Adeniyi emphasised the Service’s proactive measures in addressing global risks, such as anti-money laundering, drug trafficking, and wildlife protection.
In 2024 alone, the NCS seized narcotics valued at billions of naira, intercepted illegal wildlife shipments worth N5.93 billion, and bolstered border security through geo-spatial integration and enhanced risk assessment protocols.
“Our trade facilitation efforts managed imports valued at N60.29 trillion and exports worth N136.65 trillion, while strategically granting N1.68 trillion in concessions to promote industrial growth,” Adeniyi stated.
He reaffirmed the NCS’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic agenda, pledging continued support for the nation’s prosperity.
The event featured the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as the Special Guest of Honour.
General Musa lauded the NCS for its innovation in tackling dynamic trade and security challenges.
“The Armed Forces will continue to support the NCS in promoting national security and prosperity,” he said, while also applauding award recipients for their exemplary contributions to the Service.
Representing the World Customs Organization (WCO), Secretary-General Ian Sanders commended customs administrations worldwide for driving trade facilitation and security.
He urged members to transform their commitments into measurable actions, emphasising modernisation, data-driven operations, and public-private partnerships as critical tools for achieving WCO objectives.
Assistant Comptroller-General Dera Nnadi, who oversees Strategic Research and Policy, underscored the alignment of the WCO theme with the NCS’s focus on collaboration, consolidation, and innovation.
The ceremony, attended by senior Customs officers, stakeholders, and representatives from other security agencies, showcased the NCS’s unwavering commitment to strengthening its operations and fostering Nigeria’s economic development.
