PRESS BRIEFING ON THE ACTIVITIES OF NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025 BY BASHIR ADEWALE ADENIYI, COMPTROLLER-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS ON APRIL 22, 2025, AT THE NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS MAITAMA ABUJA

Distinguished Members of the Press, Fellow Officers, and Esteemed Stakeholders,

OPENING/INTRODUCTION

1. Let me begin by thanking you for joining us today. These quarterly briefings have become an important tradition for the Nigeria Customs Service as it provides the platform to share our work directly with the Nigerian people we serve.
2. This first quarter of 2025 has seen our officers working tirelessly at borders and ports nationwide. I’m proud to report we’ve made real progress on multiple fronts – from increasing revenue collections to intercepting dangerous shipments. The numbers we’re releasing today show concrete results from the reforms initiated under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, Mr. Olawale Edun’s leadership.
3. Let me emphasize that every statistic we share today represents the hard work of our customs officers – stopping illegal goods at our borders, enabling lawful trade, and securing vital government revenue. While we’ve achieved significant successes this quarter, we’ve also encountered challenges that have provided valuable lessons for our ongoing operations.
4. I want to be clear about our approach: we believe the public has a right to know how their customs service is performing. That’s why we’re here today – to give you the facts, answer your questions, and maintain the trust Nigerians place in our institution. With that, let me turn to the quarter’s key achievements…

REVENUE PERFORMANCE

5. I’m pleased to report the Service’s revenue collection for Q1 2025 totaled ₦1,751,502,252,298.05 (One Trillion, Seven Hundred and Fifty-One Billion, Five Hundred and Two Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight Naira, Five Kobo).
6. Against our annual target of ₦6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at ₦1,645,000,000,000.00. I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded this target by ₦106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of our quarterly projection. This outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96% increase compared to the same period in 2024, where we collected ₦1,347,705,251,658.31.
7. Our month-by-month analysis reveals even more encouraging details of this growth trajectory. January’s collection of ₦647,880,245,243.67 not only surpassed its monthly target of ₦548.33 billion by 18.12%, but also showed a remarkable 65.77% year-on-year growth. February’s ₦540,105,439,535.18 exceeded its target by 1.3% while achieving 19.97% growth over 2024 figures. March maintained this positive trend with ₦563,516,567,519.20, delivering 2.7% above target and an 11.22% improvement over March 2024.
8. These results substantiate our effective measures to curb revenue losses while streamlining compliant trade. The 29.96% annual increase and steady monthly collections confirm our strategy is working. We’ll maintain this momentum through rigorous enforcement and strengthened partnerships.

ANTI-SMUGGLING/ENFORCEMENT

9. The Nigeria Customs Service maintained robust anti-smuggling operations during the first quarter of 2025, recording 298 seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦7,698,557,347.67. This represents a significant 78.41% increase compared to the ₦4,315,162,568.35 recorded in Q4 2024, demonstrating heightened operational effectiveness. However, when compared to Q1 2024’s ₦9,587,256,998.05, the Service observed a 19.70% reduction in DPV, attributable to improved compliance through sustained stakeholder engagement and the deterrent effect of our enforcement activities.
10. Rice remained the most prevalent seized commodity, with 159 cases involving 135,474 bags valued at ₦939,309,698.00. Petroleum products followed with 61 seizures totaling 65,819 liters (₦43,336,160.81 DPV). Of particular note were 22 narcotics interceptions valued at ₦730,748,173.00, reflecting our intensified focus on combating drug trafficking. The Service also recorded three high-value wildlife product seizures with a remarkable ₦5,653,522,600.00 DPV, underscoring both the lucrative nature of this illegal trade and our commitment to environmental protection under international conventions.
11. Other notable seizures included textile fabrics (13 cases, ₦134,219,330.00 DPV), retreaded tires (5 cases, ₦104,599,000.00 DPV), and pharmaceuticals (1 case, ₦17,188,000.00 DPV). These comprehensive results demonstrate the Service’s vigilance across all categories of prohibited and restricted goods.
12. The seizure trends highlight several strategic priorities:

a. Continued emphasis on intercepting high-volume items like rice and petroleum products through enhanced border surveillance

b. Specialized operations targeting high-value wildlife trafficking, building on existing collaborations with UNODC and other international partners

c. Sustained focus on dangerous narcotics and pharmaceutical smuggling

d. Implementation of advanced non-intrusive inspection technology to improve detection rates

13. From rice to wildlife, these seizures show our targeted approach. While these results indicate progress in curbing smuggling activities, the Service recognizes the evolving nature of illicit trade. We remain committed to refining our enforcement strategies through intelligence-led operations, technological advancement, and strengthened interagency cooperation to protect national revenue and security.

TRADE FACILITATION

14. Trade facilitation remains a core focus of our operations, as we continue striving to balance our revenue collection and enforcement responsibilities with the need to promote legitimate trade. During the first quarter of 2025, the Service processed a total of 327,928 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) for imports, handling goods with a total mass of 4,910,640,283.33 kilograms and a Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value of ₦14,807,960,201,235.00.
15. This represents a 5.28% increase in the number of import transactions compared to the 311,492 SGDs processed in Q1 2024, reflecting growing confidence in our trade facilitation measures. The significant 40.14% increase in the mass of imports processed (from 3,504,173,117.33 kg in Q1 2024) demonstrates robust growth in import volumes, while the 26.72% increase in CIF value (from ₦11,685,677,810,129.00 in Q1 2024) indicates a shift towards higher-value goods.
16. In Q1 2025, the Service processed 8,153 export shipments (SGDs), representing a 6.4% decrease from Q4 2024 (8,710 SGDs) and a 24.4% decline from Q1 2024 (10,786 SGDs). Despite fewer transactions, export mass reached 5.03 billion kilograms – a 10% reduction from Q4 2024’s 5.58 billion kg but a remarkable 348% increase from Q1 2024’s 1.12 billion kg. The CIF value stood at ₦21.51 trillion, showing a 19% increase from Q4 2024’s ₦18.07 trillion while remaining stable compared to Q1 2024’s ₦21.58 trillion. This data clearly suggestive of Nigeria’s accelerating shift toward bulk commodity exports, with significantly larger shipments being processed through fewer transactions, while maintaining consistent total export value – reflecting both changing trade patterns and improved processing efficiency in our export systems.
17. The total trade value handled by the Service in Q1 2025 amounted to ₦36,317,925,576,290.00, demonstrating Nigeria’s substantial participation in international trade despite global economic challenges. This performance reflects our ongoing commitment to implementing trade facilitation measures that enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market.

KEY INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

18. During the first quarter of 2025, the Service achieved several significant milestones in our modernization and institutional development agenda. These achievements align with our strategic objectives and contribute to our overall mandate. Key among these are:

a. B’Odogwu Platform Expansion. We continued the roll-out of our indigenously developed customs clearance platform, B’Odogwu, expanding its operations to additional Customs formations across the country. This expansion has enhanced operational efficiency and improved service delivery to our stakeholders.

b. Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Programme. On 14 February, 2025, we officially launched the Authorized Economic Operators Programme, a World Customs Organization-endorsed initiative that recognizes businesses with strong compliance records and security standards. This programme provides benefits such as expedited clearance, reduced inspections, and enhanced predictability in customs procedures for qualifying operators.

c. Corporate Social Responsibility Programme. The quarter saw the official launch of our comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, tagged “Customs Cares.” on 20 March 2025 at Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, directly supporting Presidential priorities and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The program’s six pillars—Education, Health, Environment, Food Security, Social Investment, and Creative Economy—were activated with 2,000 students receiving 10,000 notebooks, 2,000 school bags and 4,000 pens, while the school benefited from CCTV security systems and solar-powered lighting. A concurrent medical outreach served 1,000 community members with basic healthcare and anti-malaria nets, demonstrating immediate impact. The historic launch was attended by the Honourable Ministers of Finance, Education, and Youth Development, alongside national and international development partners, marking the NCS’s commitment to nationwide social investment. With activities now expanding across all six geopolitical zones, Customs Cares represents a structured, scalable approach to community development—transforming corporate responsibility into tangible improvements in education infrastructure, healthcare access, and environmental sustainability.

d. Support for Government Food Security Initiatives. In line with the Federal Government’s efforts to address food security challenges, the Service implemented exemptions on imports of essential food items like maize, rice and sorghum. The NCS’s duty exemptions on food imports have contributed to recent food price reductions, with effects seen both immediately and over time. The Q1 2025 waivers on maize (₦45.3 billion FOB value), rice (₦751.6 million), and sorghum (₦2.3 billion) also contributed to lowering prices by 12-18% this year. At the same time, the larger exemptions from 2024 on rice (₦45.9 billion FOB) and wheat (₦2.8 billion) are now showing their full effect after taking time to work through the supply chain. This combination of current and past exemptions helps explain the steady improvement in food affordability. The 2024 measures initially faced delays in reaching markets but eventually increased supplies, while the 2025 waivers provided additional support. Together, these policies have helped stabilize prices by improving availability at different times, showing how customs adjustments can influence food costs both in the short term and over longer periods. The NBS price data reflects this pattern, where the benefits of duty relief emerge gradually but add up to make food more affordable.

19. Results speak louder than plans; faster clearances through B’Odogwu, trusted traders in the AEO program, and measurable food price relief from our exemptions. We’ll keep scaling what works.

CHALLENGES

20. Despite our achievements, the Service encountered several challenges during the quarter that impacted our operations and performance. Chief among these was exchange rate volatility, which continued to affect trade patterns and customs valuation. During Q1 2025, we recorded 62 changes in the exchange rate, ranging from a minimum of ₦1,477.72 to a maximum of ₦1,569.53 per USD, with an average rate of ₦1,521.59.
21. This volatility, though slightly moderated compared to the previous quarter (Q4 2024) which saw rates as high as ₦1,688.28, continues to create uncertainty for traders and affects the predictability of import costs. We have been working closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance to implement measures aimed at stabilizing the exchange rate for import declarations.
22. Another significant challenge was the implementation and subsequent suspension of the Financial Customs Service Operation (FCSO), also known as the four percent FOB. This development created temporary operational adjustments for both the Service and our stakeholders.
23. In March, we also faced uncertainty regarding the 14% Reciprocal tariff imposed on Nigerian exports by the United States of America. This development has potential implications for our export trade and requires strategic diplomatic and policy responses.
24. Non-compliance, particularly in the form of smuggling, remains a persistent challenge despite our enhanced enforcement efforts. We continue to adapt our strategies to combat increasingly sophisticated smuggling networks, leveraging technology and intelligence-led operations to tackle this threat to our economy and security.

STRATEGIC OUTLOOK

25. Looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, our strategic focus will center on two key areas:

a. Continuous Modernization. We will accelerate the aggressive modernization of Service processes and procedures through the launch of innovative solutions designed to enhance stakeholder experience. This includes further expansion of the B’Odogwu platform, implementation of advanced risk management systems, and integration of emerging technologies into our operations.

b. Service Delivery Enhancement. We remain committed to delivering quality services to all our stakeholders, with emphasis on efficiency, transparency, and professionalism. This commitment will guide our human resource development initiatives, procedural reforms, and stakeholder engagement strategies.

26. These strategic priorities align with the Service’s long-term vision of becoming a fully modernized customs administration that facilitates legitimate trade while effectively securing the nation’s borders and optimizing revenue collection for national development.

CONCLUSION

27. Let me summarize where we stand after Q1: We’ve collected ₦1.75 trillion despite economic headwinds, intercepted ₦7.7 billion worth of smuggled goods, and rolled out practical solutions like the B’Odogwu platform. The numbers show we’re delivering.
28. I want to express my profound gratitude to the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service for their dedication, professionalism, and hard work. Your commitment continues to drive our achievements and reinforces our position as a critical institution in Nigeria’s economic and security architecture.
29. We also acknowledge the support of the Federal Government, particularly His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Olawale Edun, for their guidance and enabling environment that have facilitated our operations.
30. To our stakeholders – the trading community, partner government agencies, and international partners – we appreciate your cooperation and constructive engagement. We remain committed to fostering these relationships as we work together to advance Nigeria’s trade interests and economic development.
31. Finally, I wish to thank members of the press for your continued support in communicating our activities to the public. Your role in promoting understanding of Customs operations is invaluable, and we look forward to your continued partnership.

Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

BASHIR ADEWALE ADENIYI,
COMPTROLLER-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS