By Peter Omopo
Abuja – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recorded an impressive ₦658.6 billion in revenue for September 2025, reflecting continued fiscal strength amid ongoing reforms and enforcement efforts.
This was disclosed on Monday in Abuja by Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), during the Monthly National Joint Security Press Briefing organised by the Agency in collaboration with security, paramilitary, and regulatory institutions across the country.
Issa-Onilu noted that the month of September was defined by “strategic engagements, operational milestones, and collaborative initiatives” that reaffirmed the Service’s pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.
“The Service continued its steady march toward reform, innovation, and stakeholder trust,” he said, praising the visionary leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for driving transparency, efficiency, and institutional renewal.
Revenue Performance and Trade Engagements
According to Issa-Onilu, the ₦658,605,400,392 collected in September underscores the NCS’s sustained performance and commitment to strengthening revenue mobilisation while minimising leakages across the system.
He revealed that during the same period, the Service held a high-level strategic engagement with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The meeting, he said, provided a platform to strengthen trade relations, promote policy harmony, and chart a sustainable course for industrial and economic growth.
“The engagement reinforced the Service’s reform agenda anchored on collaboration, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility for economic development,” he added.
Issa-Onilu highlighted that the Customs Service recognises the manufacturing sector as a critical partner in boosting national productivity and driving Nigeria’s non-oil revenue diversification efforts.
Innovation and Trade Facilitation
On operational innovations, the NOA boss announced that the Service had introduced a One-Stop-Shop platform — an initiative aimed at improving trade efficiency by reducing cargo clearance time, cutting procedural bottlenecks, and ensuring smoother coordination among trade stakeholders.
“This marks another major step toward enhancing trade facilitation and aligning Nigeria’s customs operations with global best practices,” he said.
Border Security and Enforcement
Issa-Onilu also commended the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, which recorded significant enforcement success in September through the interception of firearms, industrial drones, and other prohibited items within the Southwest region.
He described the operation as a demonstration of the Service’s vigilance, intelligence capacity, and commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders from illicit trade and transnational threats.
“The interception reinforces the Service’s dual mandate of trade facilitation and national security enforcement,” he said. “It ensures that legitimate trade thrives while threats to national safety are neutralised.”
Corporate Responsibility and Stakeholder Confidence
The Customs Service, Issa-Onilu added, has continued to strengthen its corporate social responsibility (CSR) through support for sister agencies and community development projects across various commands.
He also cited the commendation from the Board of Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) as an external validation of the Service’s growing reputation for professionalism, accountability, and mutual trust.
“The feat recorded in September stands as evidence that the Service is not merely evolving; it is setting new standards in institutional excellence, reform communication, and national service delivery,” Issa-Onilu said.
Background and Revenue Outlook
The NCS had earlier announced that between January and June 2025, it collected a total of ₦3.6 trillion in revenue — a performance described by National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, as “remarkable and above expectations.”
Following that strong showing, the Senate Committee on Customs in June raised the Service’s 2025 revenue target from ₦6.58 trillion to ₦10 trillion, acknowledging the agency’s growing efficiency under Adeniyi’s leadership.
With its September revenue figures surpassing ₦650 billion, the Nigeria Customs Service appears on track to meet — and possibly exceed — its ambitious annual target, reinforcing its crucial role in Nigeria’s economic recovery and fiscal consolidation efforts.
