The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced that it collected a total sum of ₦1,751,502,252,298.05 in the first quarter of 2025 (Q1 2025), despite economic headwinds, and intercepted smuggled goods worth ₦7.7 billion.
This indicates that the NCS exceeded its target for the quarter by ₦106.5 billion, achieving 106.47 percent of the quarterly projection. The outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, when it collected ₦1,347,705,251,658.31.
With an annual target of ₦6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at ₦1,645,000,000,000.00.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing on the NCS’s activities for Q1 2025 in Abuja.
“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,” Adeniyi said.
Providing a breakdown of the revenue collection, Adeniyi explained, “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.”
He emphasized that these results substantiate the effectiveness of the NCS’s measures to curb revenue losses while streamlining compliant trade.
Adeniyi added that the 29.96 percent annual increase and steady monthly collections confirm that the strategy is working. He pledged to maintain the momentum through rigorous enforcement and strengthened partnerships.
ALSO READ: Entrepreneurship education, catalyst for economic development — Experts
He noted that the NCS maintained robust anti-smuggling operations during Q1 2025, recording 298 seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦7,698,557,347.67.
This represents a significant 78.41 percent increase compared to the ₦4,315,162,568.35 recorded in Q4 2024, demonstrating heightened operational effectiveness. However, compared to Q1 2024’s ₦9,587,256,998.05, the Service observed a 19.70 percent reduction in DPV.
He attributed this decline to improved compliance, driven by sustained stakeholder engagement and the deterrent effect of enforcement activities.
According to him, rice remained the most frequently 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). Notably, 22 narcotics interceptions were recorded, valued at ₦730,748,173.00, reflecting the Service’s intensified focus on combating drug trafficking.
The Service also recorded three high-value wildlife product seizures with a total DPV of ₦5,653,522,600.00, underscoring both the lucrative nature of this illegal trade and the NCS’s commitment to environmental protection under international conventions.
“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.
“The seizure trends highlight several strategic priorities: continued emphasis on intercepting high-volume items like rice and petroleum products through enhanced border surveillance; specialized operations targeting high-value wildlife trafficking, building on existing collaborations with UNODC and other international partners; sustained focus on dangerous narcotics and pharmaceutical smuggling; and the implementation of advanced non-intrusive inspection technology to improve detection rates. 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,” Adeniyi stated.
He added that trade facilitation remains a core focus of NCS operations, as the Service continues striving to balance revenue collection and enforcement responsibilities with the need to promote legitimate trade.
Adeniyi highlighted that during Q1 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.
This represents a 5.28 percent increase in the number of import transactions compared to the 311,492 SGDs processed in Q1 2024, reflecting growing confidence in trade facilitation measures.
The 40.14 percent increase in import mass (from 3,504,173,117.33 kg in Q1 2024) demonstrates robust growth in import volumes, while the 26.72 percent increase in CIF value (from ₦11,685,677,810,129.00 in Q1 2024) indicates a shift toward higher-value goods.
In Q1 2025, the Service processed 8,153 export SGDs, representing a 6.4 percent decrease from Q4 2024 (8,710 SGDs) and a 24.4 percent decline from Q1 2024 (10,786 SGDs).
Adeniyi said, “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 suggests Nigeria’s accelerating shift toward bulk commodity exports, with significantly larger shipments processed through fewer transactions, while maintaining consistent total export value—reflecting both changing trade patterns and improved processing efficiency in our export systems.”
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 the NCS’s ongoing commitment to implementing trade facilitation measures that enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market.
and then