The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has proposed a revenue target of N11.07 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year, saying it will rely on deeper automation, intelligence-driven enforcement and enhanced trade facilitation to meet the ambitious goal.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday while presenting the agency’s 2026 budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise.
According to him, the projected revenue comprises N5.54 trillion from federation accounts, N1.49 trillion from non-federation accounts, N2.27 trillion from import Value Added Tax (VAT), and N1.26 trillion from the four per cent Free-on-Board (FOB) Cost of Collection.
Mr Adeniyi said the agency would deepen automation through the Unified Customs Information System, popularly known as B’Odogwu, strengthen post-clearance audits, expand intelligence-led enforcement and improve trade facilitation to achieve the target.
“The Unified Customs Management System is now up and running very well. We believe it provides the platform for robust revenue collection,” he said.
He added that reforms implemented in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) had significantly strengthened post-clearance audit operations.
“Through that, we are able to carry out real-time system audits and continue to recover revenue on a daily basis,” he said.
The customs boss also said the Authorised Economic Operator Programme and the Advance Ruling Programme were now fully operational and expected to improve compliance while facilitating legitimate trade.
Mr Adeniyi, however, acknowledged that recently approved tariff reductions on imported vehicles could moderate revenue growth, even though new excise measures expected under the 2026 fiscal policy may boost collections.
He confirmed that import duty on used vehicles had been reduced from 15 per cent to five per cent, while duty on brand-new vehicles was cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.
Responding to lawmakers’ concerns over the likely impact of the policy, Adeniyi said it was too early to assess its effectiveness because implementation only began on May 1, 2026.
“This is a new policy. It takes an average of about 90 days before we begin to see its full effects,” he said.
He stressed that while the Nigeria Customs Service provides technical advice on trade trends and revenue implications, fiscal policy decisions remain the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
On expenditure, the Service proposed N421.70 billion for personnel costs, N307.77 billion for overheads and N565.93 billion for capital projects in the 2026 budget.
Mr Adeniyi said the Customs currently has 15,969 personnel, with 3,927 new recruits expected to join before the end of the year. He noted that capital spending would prioritise completion of ongoing projects, acquisition of operational equipment, expansion of ICT infrastructure and execution of existing contractual obligations.
The Customs chief also defended the agency’s 2025 performance, disclosing that it generated N7.28 trillion between January and December 2025, exceeding its annual revenue target of N6.58 trillion by 10.24 per cent, despite government-approved tax waivers and fiscal incentives.
He noted that about N34.54 trillion worth of imports benefited from duty exemptions and waivers during the year, reducing potential revenue collections.