By ZAKAA LAZARUS
When a public institution moves from ₦660 billion in annual personnel cost debates to generating ₦10.627 trillion in 18 months, we must ask: what has changed?
For the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the answer given on Tuesday, 4 August 2026 by Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi at a Senate retreat in Abuja is simple: systems replaced discretion.
Speaking on the theme _“Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms,”_ Adeniyi told the Senate Committee on Customs that the Service’s record performance – ₦7.277 trillion in 2025, 10.24% above target, and ₦3.35 trillion between January and May 2026 – is the product of deliberate reforms and technology, not just currency devaluation or economic luck.
“Revenue growth during periods of currency adjustment can create the impression of success even where little has changed. What matters is whether the growth is driven by stronger systems, and I believe ours is,” he said.
The transformation is three-pronged:
- Technology: The B’Odogwu Customs Platform now digitizes cargo clearance, creating electronic trails that make “every transaction traceable and every decision auditable.” Coupled with the Trade Modernisation Project, it replaces manual bottlenecks with risk-based, data-driven processing.
- Integration: National Single Window implementation is harmonizing documentation across MDAs, cutting duplication and clearance time at the ports.
- Legal Framework: The Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 provides the teeth. It enables electronic cargo processing, advance rulings for certainty, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status for compliant traders, and a sustainable funding model for the Service.
The results are already visible beyond revenue: improved trade facilitation, stronger anti-smuggling intelligence, and cleaner data for policy making.
Nigeria’s emergence as Chair of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council is more than symbolic. It is international validation that our reforms align with global best practice.
But global recognition without domestic consolidation is dangerous. As Adeniyi warned, modernisation “reduces opportunities for human discretion and interference” – and that is exactly why it will face resistance from entrenched interests.
This is where the legislature comes in. The CGC’s charge is clear: oversight must evolve. Lawmakers should move past headline revenue figures and interrogate performance indicators- cargo clearance timelines, automation uptime, risk management effectiveness, and the impact of trade policies.
To protect the gains, the Senate must act on four fronts:
- Legislative Protection: Shield automated systems like B’Odogwu from political interference and undue waivers.
- Review Waivers & Concessions: The current regime is the biggest leakage point. A transparent review will secure more revenue without new taxes.
- Continuous Engagement: Retreats must become regular, not ceremonial. Lawmakers need real-time access to system data.
- Amendments Where Needed: The NCS Act 2023 should be reviewed to align with evolving global trade rules and close implementation gaps.
Adeniyi was honest: “Some ports are still adjusting… officers and stakeholders continue to adapt.” Reform is a process, not an event. It requires patience, funding, training, and most importantly, political will.
With the backing of President Bola Tinubu, the Customs Service is on the verge of becoming a 21st-century institution built on transparent rules, technology and institutional integrity.
If we fail to fully implement and protect the NCS Act 2023, we risk sliding back to a system where personal discretion trumps policy, and revenue growth becomes accidental rather than structural.
The ₦10.6 trillion proof of concept is here. The law is here. The technology is here.
What remains is the resolve to protect it.
Nigeria’s competitiveness, revenue base, and anti-corruption agenda depend on getting this right.
