Lagos, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated ₦3.35 trillion in revenue between January and May 2026, driven by improved trade facilitation, enhanced customs processing and intensified border enforcement operations.
The figures were disclosed during a joint security briefing organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in Abuja, where the Customs Service presented its operational performance alongside other security and law enforcement agencies.
Speaking on behalf of the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Titus Omajali said the service processed nearly 700,000 import declarations and issued more than 112,000 Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAARs) during the five-month period, reflecting continued improvements in customs clearance and trade facilitation.
He added that the service facilitated exports worth $1.218 billion through 21,376 export containers, underscoring growing momentum in Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.
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According to Omajali, export earnings rebounded sharply after dropping to $171.76 million in March, rising to $274.83 million in April before reaching $275.90 million in May. Export container traffic also more than doubled from 2,847 containers in March to 6,144 containers in April, indicating increased participation by exporters and stronger trade activity.
He said the performance reflects the Customs Service’s ongoing efforts to facilitate legitimate trade while supporting the Federal Government’s drive to diversify export earnings beyond crude oil.
Beyond revenue collection, the NCS intensified enforcement against smuggling, illicit financial flows and wildlife trafficking during the review period.
Omajali disclosed that Customs made 122 illicit drug seizures, intercepting 375,457 units of narcotics with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦24.33 billion. Narcotics accounted for more than 91 per cent of all seizures, with March recording the highest number of interceptions following major enforcement operations that led to the seizure of over 248,500 units.
The Service also intercepted about $789,550 in undeclared and falsely declared foreign currencies across six separate cases involving violations of Nigeria’s currency declaration regulations.
According to the NCS, the offences included concealment of cash in passengers’ luggage, under-declaration of foreign currencies and the discovery of multiple Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards allegedly linked to illicit financial transactions.
In its anti-wildlife trafficking operations, the agency recorded 17 cases involving 104 live animals and 21 endangered wildlife species and products, including pangolins, African Crowned Cranes, worked ivory, buffalo horns and hyena skins.
The latest performance builds on the agency’s record revenue collection of ₦7.281 trillion in 2025.
Customs attributed part of that achievement to the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which increased revenue from participating companies from ₦1.222 trillion before certification to ₦1.585 trillion after certification—an increase of ₦362.79 billion, representing 29.68 per cent.
As of October 2025, 51 AEO-certified companies accounted for 21.77 per cent of the Service’s total revenue, while customs duties paid by participating firms rose by 85.66 per cent, driven by stronger compliance and increased volumes of legitimate trade.
With ₦3.35 trillion already generated in the first five months of 2026, the Nigeria Customs Service appears on course to sustain its revenue growth while strengthening border security, facilitating trade and expanding Nigeria’s export capacity.
