• Courts lawmakers to preserve customs reforms, says automation replacing discretion as service deepens trade modernisation
• Senate committee hails N7.3trn revenue in 2025, customs transformation under Adeniyi’s watch
James Emejo in Abuja
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr. Bashir Adeniyi, yesterday urged the National Assembly to take a closer look at the country’s growing exemption and waiver regime, stating that many concessions granted for policy reasons deserve periodic legislative review.
Adeniyi said that would help to determine whether such exemptions still achieved their intended objectives or had become costly leakages.
Adeniyi spoke while addressing members of Senate Committee on Customs at a two-day retreat, with the theme, “Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms,” in Abuja.
He stressed that while customs implemented the waiver framework, decisions on whether such incentives remained justified fell squarely within the legislature’s oversight responsibilities.
The senate committee hailed the service for generating N7.3 trillion, against the projected N6.5 trillion revenue in 2025.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Jibrin Isah, appraised the leadership of Adeniyi, describing the revenue feat as remarkable. He also praised the trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations under Adeniyi.
Isah said, “The Nigeria Customs Service deserves commendation for surpassing its 2025 revenue target. Under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the service has recorded outstanding improvements in revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations.”
He also praised the management and personnel of the service for the achievements recorded so far, urging the service to confront lingering operational constraints to deliver even better results in 2026.
Adeniyi called for stronger legislative backing to protect the ongoing reforms and modernisation drive of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
He said the reforms anchored on automation and transparency could only succeed if they were insulated from political and institutional interference.
The CGC urged lawmakers to fundamentally rethink how they oversaw the service by focusing less on individual transactions and more on the integrity of the digital systems driving customs administration.
He stated that as customs increasingly automated its operations, effective oversight should move beyond investigations into specific consignments or officers and, instead, interrogate the design, performance, and credibility of the systems that determined trade facilitation, cargo clearance, and revenue collection.
According to him, the most important questions for legislators should now centre on how the service’s risk management engine is calibrated, whether valuation databases remain current, how quickly compliant cargo is released, and whether tax exemptions continue to deliver the intended economic benefits.
According to him, “The questions that move the national needle are no longer about isolated transactions but about the rules that govern the system.”
The customs boss stated that resistance to modernisation often came from interests that benefitted from discretionary processes.
He maintained that while the administration had enjoyed strong backing from President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Finance, enduring reforms required institutional support from the National Assembly.
He stressed that clear legislative endorsement would make it considerably more difficult for vested interests to frustrate ongoing reforms aimed at eliminating human discretion from customs operations.
Adeniyi described the retreat as an opportunity to bridge the traditional gap between the legislature and customs beyond routine budget defence and revenue scrutiny, adding that lawmakers would gain a deeper understanding of the transformation underway within the service.
He said the objective was not to reduce legislative scrutiny but to ensure such oversight was exercised with a full appreciation of the systems being built.
The CGC pointed to the service’s recent performance as evidence that the reforms were yielding measurable results.
He disclosed that customs generated N7.277 trillion in revenue in 2025, surpassing its target by 10.24 per cent, while collections between January and May 2026 reached N3.35 trillion.
He cautioned against attributing the growth solely to exchange rate movements.
According to him, revenue increases during periods of currency adjustment could create a misleading impression of performance.
He insisted that the real test lied in whether stronger institutions and better technology—not favourable economic conditions—were driving the gains.
He said the retreat would allow lawmakers to independently assess whether the service’s performance rested on durable reforms rather than temporary macroeconomic factors.
The customs boss also highlighted the country’s emergence as Chair of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, describing it as international recognition of the country’s reform agenda rather than the size of its economy.
He said the leadership position reflected growing confidence among customs administrations worldwide in Nigeria’s commitment to modern, technology-driven border management.
Adeniyi explained that NCS’ vision of modernisation was fundamentally about replacing human discretion with predictable, technology-enabled processes.
He said automation reduced opportunities for arbitrary decisions by introducing risk-based cargo selection, automated valuation references, and data-driven targeting capable of producing consistent outcomes regardless of the officer handling a transaction.
He stated that the implementation of the B’Odogwu digital platform and the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) represented far more than a software upgrade.
He said they established a transparent electronic environment where every action was recorded, every delay could be traced to a responsible officer, and every intervention left an auditable trail.
According to him, such transparency strengthens accountability within the service itself.
Adeniyi credited the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 with providing the legal framework that made the reforms possible.
He said the legislation introduced provisions for electronic customs processing, advance rulings, Authorised Economic Operator status, and a sustainable funding mechanism for continuous institutional investment.
Three years after the law came into force, he said it was now appropriate for lawmakers to assess its practical implementation and identify provisions that might require amendment as international trade continued to evolve.
He urged senators to use the retreat to not only evaluate the performance of customs but also to review whether the legal framework remained adequate for emerging trade realities.
Adeniyi appealed to the senate committee to prioritise outcome-based oversight.
Rather than measuring institutional performance by the number of meetings or administrative activities undertaken, he said lawmakers should focus on measurable indicators, such as cargo release times, compliance levels, and the efficiency of customs processes.
He also called on legislators to help preserve the independence of the service’s automated risk management system.
According to him, a risk engine susceptible to external influence loses its credibility and defeats the purpose of automation.
He said, “A risk engine that can be overridden by influence is not a risk engine; it is merely a formality with a computer attached.”
The CGC acknowledged that the service’s transformation remained a work in progress, pointing out that some ports are still adjusting to the new systems, while officers and traders continue adapting to the digital environment.
Nonetheless, he assured lawmakers that customs would present both achievements and challenges during the retreat rather than offer a one-sided assessment of its reform programme.
He expressed confidence that the direction of the reforms had been firmly established and pledged that the service would leave behind an institution governed by transparent rules instead of personal relationships.
Adeniyi stressed that the long-term goal was to build a customs administration capable of supporting trade competitiveness, improving compliance, and strengthening public confidence through predictable, technology-driven operations.
The senate committee chairman assured the service of the committee’s continued legislative backing, adding that the retreat would further equip lawmakers to provide more effective oversight and support for Customs’ ongoing reforms.
The lawmakers congratulated Adeniyi on his re-election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, describing the feat as a landmark achievement that reflects Nigeria’s growing influence and credibility in global customs administration.