Senate demands N10tr revenue target from Customs, calls for stronger anti-smuggling efforts

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is facing an intensified mandate from the Senate, which has directed the agency to significantly increase its 2025 revenue target from ₦6.548 trillion to a more ambitious ₦10 trillion.

This directive came during the NCS’s 2025 budget defense on Monday, where lawmakers commended the service for exceeding its 2024 revenue goals but insisted on even higher expectations.

Senator Isah Jibrin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, spearheaded the call for a more aggressive revenue drive.

He acknowledged the NCS’s impressive performance in 2024, where it surpassed its ₦5.079 trillion target by over ₦1 trillion, reaching ₦6.1 trillion.

“You’ve done well, but you can do better,” Senator Jibrin stated, emphasizing the need for the NCS to aim higher. “We are setting your 2025 revenue target at ₦10 trillion. It is ambitious, but it is necessary.”

Deputy Comptroller General Jibo Bello, representing the Comptroller General of Customs, presented the proposed 2025 budget, which included ₦6.584 trillion in revenue and ₦1.132 trillion in expenditure.

The committee unanimously adopted this proposal, which will now proceed to the Senate floor for approval as plenary resumes on Tuesday, June 24.

Beyond revenue targets, lawmakers also stressed that the NCS must enhance its core security mandate, particularly in combating the alarming rise of illicit drug smuggling and contraband infiltration across Nigeria’s borders.

Senator Jibrin issued a stern warning regarding the drug crisis plaguing the nation. “There’s a drug crisis in this country, and Customs cannot be a bystander. These substances are fueling banditry and violence across Nigeria. You must step up surveillance and enforcement—be ahead of the criminals, not behind them.”

He also condemned the continued influx of foreign goods despite existing bans and high import duties, underscoring the negative impact on the domestic economy.

“Too many of the items flooding our markets can be produced locally. We must heed the President’s call to consume what we produce. Every smuggled item is a lost job, a weakened industry, and a drain on our foreign reserves,” he asserted.

Senator Jibrin urged the NCS to become a proactive force in protecting local industries, highlighting that reducing import dependence is crucial for economic stability.

“If we protect and patronise local producers, raw materials that are currently wasting away will find value. Employment will rise. Our economy will grow stronger from within,” he added.

Meanwhile, the committee has expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of enforcement of a 4% free on board (FOB) charge by the Customs.

The committee chairman has mandated the Minister of Finance, Wale Edu, to appear before it to provide explanations for the suspension of these charges, which lawmakers deem an infraction of the law.