The Finance Minister, Wale Edun, has commended the Nigeria Customs Service for surpassing its revenue target by 20 per cent, describing the service’s performance as outstanding.
Speaking at the 4th World Customs Organization (WCO) Donors Conference for the West and Central Africa (WCA) Region, Edun said Customs had achieving a 90 per cent increase in revenue collection.
“I am proud to commend the Nigeria Customs Service for its remarkable performance—achieving a 90 per cent increase in revenue collection and surpassing its target by 20 per cent,” the minister said while declaring the conference open.
“These achievements, driven by modernised processes and WCO-supported initiatives, illustrate how strategic investments and technology can revolutionise trade and strengthen regional integration.”
On his part, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, addressed the persistent technical and operational challenges confronting customs administrations in the region.
He identified limited digital infrastructure and poor interconnectivity among key issues hindering trade facilitation.
“Our region faces significant hurdles, from the rapid evolution of e-commerce to the complexities of technical procedures,” Adeniyi said.
“However, Nigeria has made innovative strides with initiatives such as deploying the indigenously developed B’Odogwu platform, installing advanced scanners, and the comprehensive training of over 5,000 officers.”
Adeniyi further outlined five strategic initiatives requiring donor support. These include adopting artificial intelligence for anti-smuggling operations, developing a Regional Single Window system, and expanding digital infrastructure to enhance inter-agency collaboration and trade transparency.
The conference brought together distinguished delegates, including Ebenezer Tafili, representing the Secretary General of the WCO; Amadou Konaté, Vice-Chair of WCO-WCA and Director-General of Mali Customs; Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency; along with several heads of customs, donor agencies, Nigeria owned Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) Limited, diplomatic representatives, and industry stakeholders.
