Customs urges lawmakers to review import waivers, amend 2023 Act

The Nigeria Customs Service has called on the National Assembly to review the country’s import duty waiver and concession policy, arguing that lawmakers should determine whether the incentives still justify their financial cost and continue to support Nigeria’s economic objectives.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, also urged the legislature to begin a post-implementation review of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, saying three years of implementation had revealed areas that may require amendments to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global trade environment.

Adeniyi made the appeal on Wednesday during a two-day retreat for the Senate Committee on Customs in Abuja, themed “Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms.”

He called for a shift in legislative oversight from routine cargo clearance issues to broader assessments of the digital systems underpinning Customs operations, including automated risk management, valuation databases, cargo release timelines and the effectiveness of import duty exemptions.

The Customs boss said the growing volume of goods entering the country under government-approved waivers deserved closer legislative scrutiny.

According to him, decisions on whether such incentives remain relevant should rest with lawmakers rather than the Customs Service.

His remarks come weeks after he disclosed that Import Duty Exemption Certificate approvals issued by the Federal Government reached about N34 trillion in 2025, with roughly 60 per cent granted for military hardware imports because of the country’s security challenges.

Adeniyi also described the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as the legal foundation of the agency’s reforms but said practical experience had shown that some provisions now require refinement.

He urged lawmakers to use the retreat to assess both the implementation of the law and whether it remains adequate for the realities of modern international trade.

The Comptroller-General said Customs modernisation was focused on replacing manual decision-making with technology-driven systems capable of delivering consistent, transparent and accountable outcomes.

He noted that the deployment of the indigenous B’Odogwu platform and the Trade Modernisation Project was designed to eliminate paperwork, improve transparency and ensure every transaction could be electronically tracked.

Highlighting the agency’s performance, Adeniyi said Customs generated N7.277 trillion in revenue in 2025, exceeding its annual target by more than 10 per cent, while collections between January and May 2026 stood at N3.35 trillion.

He, however, cautioned against using revenue growth alone to measure the agency’s success, noting that fluctuations in exchange rates could inflate collections. He maintained that the true indicator of progress was the strength of institutional reforms and improved operational systems.

Adeniyi also appealed for sustained legislative backing, warning that reform efforts often face resistance because automation removes discretionary powers that some individuals seek to retain.

He urged lawmakers to evaluate the Service based on measurable outcomes such as cargo clearance times and trade facilitation rather than administrative activities.

Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Senator Jibrin Isah, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for surpassing its 2025 revenue target, describing the achievement as evidence that ongoing reforms were delivering tangible results.

He said the agency generated about N7.3 trillion against a target of N6.5 trillion in 2025, while also recording improvements in trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations.

Isah assured the Customs Service of the National Assembly’s support in addressing any legislative challenges affecting its reform agenda and encouraged the agency to identify areas requiring legal intervention to further strengthen its performance.

The lawmaker also congratulated Adeniyi on his re-election as Chairman of the World Customs Organization Council, describing it as a recognition of Nigeria’s growing influence in global customs administration.