Abuja: The Comptroller-General (C-G) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has urged the Senate Committee on Customs to strengthen its oversight of the service’s ongoing reforms. Adeniyi made this appeal while delivering a keynote address at the commencement of a two-day retreat for the Senate Committee on Customs, held in Abuja. The retreat centered on the theme ‘Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms.’
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adeniyi emphasized that effective oversight should extend beyond merely scrutinizing revenue figures and individual customs decisions. Instead, it should focus on the systems, rules, and data driving the service’s modernization. He highlighted the importance of this shift in light of the transition from manual to automated customs administration, urging lawmakers to pay attention to aspects such as risk-engine calibration, valuation databases, cargo-release times, and the impact of exemptions.
Adeniyi noted that the service had collected N7.28 trillion in 2025, surpassing its target by 10.24 percent, and N3.35 trillion between January and May 2026. However, he cautioned that revenue growth alone was not enough to demonstrate successful reform. The key consideration, he stressed, was whether the growth was based on improved systems. Adeniyi remarked, “Revenue performance is important, but it is not the only measure of success. The real question is whether the systems producing that revenue are stronger, more transparent, and more predictable.”
The NCS chief explained that modernization efforts involved replacing discretion with rules, supported by risk management, automated valuation references, and data-driven targeting. He identified the Trade Modernisation Project and the deployment of B’Odogwu as central to this process, noting that electronic records would make decisions traceable and delays attributable.
Adeniyi also called on the committee to review the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which had been in operation for three years. He suggested that this period had generated sufficient evidence on the effectiveness of various provisions, as well as areas where international trade developments had overtaken the law. He urged lawmakers to protect the reform process from undue influence, particularly ensuring that automated risk-management systems could not be overridden by personal or political influence.
Addressing the exemption regime, Adeniyi noted that substantial trade entered the country through waivers and concessions granted for policy reasons. He urged the committee to examine whether such concessions still served their intended purposes. While acknowledging the ongoing nature of the modernization process, with some ports yet to fully adopt the new system, officers undergoing training, and traders adjusting to changes, Adeniyi reiterated the importance of legislative support.
In response, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Jibrin Isah, praised the NCS under Adeniyi’s leadership for embarking on major reforms that significantly increased revenue generation. He encouraged the NCS to identify and address its challenges to achieve improved performance in 2026 and beyond, assuring the service of legislative support where required. Isah expressed confidence that the retreat would deepen senators’ understanding of NCS operations and enable them to become better ambassadors of the service. He also congratulated Adeniyi on his re-election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation Council, describing it as a significant achievement for Nigeria.