The Nigeria Customs Service says it is on course to meet its ₦11 trillion revenue target for 2026, driven by technology-led reforms, improved trade facilitation and stronger border security.

The comptroller-general of customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this in a compendium. He attributed the performance to automation, intelligence-led enforcement and stronger collaboration with stakeholders.

Mr Adeniyi said that the customs generated ₦4.03 trillion in the first half of 2026 alone. He noted that the figure represented a significant jump compared to what was obtained in the same period in 2025 and put the NCS well ahead of its mid-year projections.

According to him, the improved performance is anchored on the deliberate removal of human discretion from core customs processes. He said that the customs had replaced manual interventions with standardised rules, risk-based systems, and automated valuation references to block leakages.

“Modernisation within the service is aimed at replacing officers’ discretion with standardised rules, risk-based systems, automated valuation references, and data-driven targeting to reduce vulnerability in customs operations. 

“We removed human discretion, deployed technology, and built trust with compliant traders. When you do that, revenue will grow exponentially without hurting business,” he said.

To further improve efficiency, he said the NCS had adopted Time Release Studies as a tool to measure and reduce cargo clearance times at ports and borders.

The comptroller-general noted that the data-driven approach has been helping to cut delays, lower costs for businesses, and improve Nigeria’s ranking in global trade facilitation indexes.

On the security front, Mr Adeniyi said that customs was deepening inter-agency collaboration to tackle smuggling, illicit financial flows, and wildlife trafficking.

He listed some of the security gains to include the interception of pangolin scales, ivory, and other wildlife products, as well as the disruption of syndicates involved in cross-border crimes. He said intelligence-led enforcement has become the new standard for the service.

Speaking on the broader mandate of the customs, Mr Adeniyi said that customs was evolving beyond revenue collection.

“The Nigeria Customs Service is not just about collecting duties. We are facilitators of trade, generators of data for national planning, and gatekeepers against smuggling. Our job is to ensure that Nigeria’s borders work for Nigeria—for revenue, for security, and for prosperity,” he said.

(NAN)