The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a major revenue milestone in 2025, generating a total of N7.281 trillion, marking one of its strongest financial performances in recent years.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while delivering an address at the 2026 World Customs Day celebration.
Adeniyi said the revenue outturn exceeded the Service’s approved annual target of N6.5 trillion by N697 billion, representing a positive variance of over 10 per cent.
According to him, the 2025 figure also reflects a year-on-year growth of about 19 per cent compared to the N6.1 trillion collected in 2024.
“Ladies and gentlemen, even as we protect society and reform procedures, we must also sustain the financial health of the state. I am pleased to report that in 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service collected a total of N7.281 trillion, exceeding the target with a positive variance of N697 billion, representing a growth of over 10 per cent against the target,” he said.
Providing further details, the Comptroller-General noted that the increase was driven largely by reforms and operational improvements rather than aggressive enforcement measures.
“When compared to 2024 collections, total revenue rose from N6.1 trillion to N7.28 trillion, an increase of approximately N1.18 trillion, or about 19 per cent year-on-year,” Adeniyi said.
He stressed that the figures were not presented as self-congratulation but as evidence that the agency’s reform agenda was yielding tangible results.
“We present these figures not as self-congratulation, but as evidence that reform is yielding concrete outcomes,” he said.
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Adeniyi added that the improved revenue performance was achieved without stifling legitimate trade, noting that the gains resulted from improved compliance, enhanced data utilisation, deployment of digital tools and disciplined enforcement.
“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,” he said.
He also noted that the Service continued to balance revenue generation with its trade facilitation mandate, particularly within the framework of regional and global trade agreements.
The Nigeria Customs Service is a major non-oil revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government, with responsibilities that include trade facilitation, revenue collection, border security and the suppression of smuggling.