At 2024 CGC Conference: Tinubu Applauds Customs Performance under Adeniyi’s Leadership, As Service Surpasses N5.7 Trillion Revenue Target

Faces of stakeholders at the 2024 CGC conference 2024 in Abuja L-R: Chairman of Customs Consultative Council (CCC) Aare Hakeem Olanrewaju, Vice President of ANLCA, Prince Segun Oduntan and President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite
President Bola Tinubu has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its historic achievement in surpassing the 2024 revenue target, attributing the success to focused reforms and effective leadership under Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
The commendation came during the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference 2024, held in Abuja on Wednesday. With the theme, “Nigeria Customs Service: Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,” the conference brought together government officials, industry leaders, foreign envoys, and key stakeholders in trade and industry.
In his opening remarks, delivered by National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, President Tinubu lauded the NCS’s remarkable achievement and emphasized that the agency’s accomplishments reflect broader economic reforms yielding tangible results.
“This achievement demonstrates that our policies are yielding positive results, making Nigeria increasingly attractive for both domestic and international investors,” he stated.
President Tinubu also revealed that Nigeria’s Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) had exceeded $30 billion in the past year, signaling growing international confidence in the Nigerian economy. He linked these gains to the dedicated efforts of strategic institutions like the Nigeria Customs Service.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has proven itself a key player in our economic transformation agenda, enhancing government revenue while fulfilling its mandate. This accomplishment reflects a broader commitment to creating an enabling business environment that resonates with global investors,” the president noted.
The president further highlighted initiatives to improve Nigeria’s global trade position, including modernization of port infrastructure, trade facilitation measures, and process streamlining to reduce trade barriers.
He praised the Customs Service’s dual commitment to revenue generation and regulatory compliance, citing its significant role in improving border security and anti-smuggling operations.
“This progress in revenue generation has enhanced the government’s capacity to fund critical national projects, demonstrating that effective trade facilitation can coexist with robust compliance,” Tinubu said.
In his welcome address, Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi announced that the NCS had exceeded its 2024 revenue target of NGN 5.07 trillion. As of November 12, 2024, the NCS collected NGN 5,079,455,088,194.38, with over a month left in the fiscal year. “This exceptional performance – projected to exceed our target by 10% – validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation,” Adeniyi stated.
Adeniyi emphasized that the achievement is about more than numbers, highlighting the role of enhanced stakeholder collaboration, improved processes, and modernized systems in driving positive economic outcomes.
The Comptroller-General also detailed the agency’s efforts in enforcement, with seizures valued at NGN 28.1 billion this year.
These seizures span a range of critical areas, from wildlife trafficking and arms to narcotics and illicit pharmaceuticals. He attributed this success to the NCS’s increased commitment to border security and regulatory compliance.
Among other achievements, Adeniyi noted the Service’s leap of 33 places in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) rankings, placing the NCS among the top five agencies in trade facilitation.
He attributed this progress to ongoing reforms designed to make Nigeria’s trade landscape more efficient and competitive.
“We’ve committed to comprehensive modernization: a one-stop solution for cargo alerts, revolutionized ICT infrastructure, streamlined procedures, and expanded automation. Our ambition is to transform customs operations, making them transparent, efficient, and collaborative,” Adeniyi stated.
Looking forward, the Comptroller-General outlined the NCS’s continued commitment to elevating cargo integrity, reimagining free trade zone operations, and expanding scanning capabilities.
The Service, he affirmed, is poised to lead a new era in Nigerian customs administration, built on transparency, efficiency, and partnership.