Customs records ₦7.28tn revenue in 2025, surpasses target
Story by Martha Gwary
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recorded a major revenue milestone in 2025, generating a total of ₦7.28tn, one of its strongest financial performances in recent years.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while speaking at the 2026 World Customs Day celebration, where he highlighted the role of reforms, technology deployment and stronger stakeholder engagement in driving the result.
Adeniyi said the revenue outturn exceeded the Service’s approved annual target of ₦6.58tn by ₦697bn, representing a positive variance of over 10 per cent.
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According to him, the figure also reflects a year-on-year growth of about 19 per cent when compared with the ₦6.1tn collected in 2024.
“Even as we protect society and reform procedures, we must also sustain the financial health of the state,” he said. “I am pleased to report that in 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service collected a total of ₦7.28tn, exceeding the target with a positive variance of ₦697bn.”
Providing further details, the Customs boss said the improvement was driven largely by structural and operational reforms rather than aggressive enforcement.
“When compared to 2024 collections, total revenue rose from ₦6.1tn to ₦7.28tn, an increase of approximately ₦1.18tn, or about 19 per cent year-on-year,” he stated.
Adeniyi stressed that the figures were not presented as an exercise in self-praise but as evidence that the agency’s reform agenda was producing measurable outcomes.
“We present these figures not as self-congratulation, but as proof that reform is yielding tangible results,” he said.
He also allayed concerns from the business community, noting that the revenue gains were achieved without stifling legitimate trade.
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“The increase did not come from arbitrary enforcement or the burdening of compliant traders, but from improved compliance, better use of data, digital tools and disciplined enforcement,” Adeniyi explained.
He added that the Service strengthened collaboration with the private sector while upholding its trade facilitation commitments.
According to him, the NCS continued to balance revenue generation with its broader mandate under regional and global trade agreements.
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The Nigeria Customs Service is one of the Federal Government’s key non-oil revenue-generating agencies, with responsibilities spanning trade facilitation, revenue collection, border security and the suppression of smuggling.
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