NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE SEES 182% REVENUE SURGE UNDER COMPTROLLER WALE ADENUGA

By Lod Onyeji

The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has reported a significant increase in revenue collection, with ₦1.5 billion collected in September 2025, representing a 182% rise from ₦513 million in the same period last year. Comptroller Wale Adenuga attributed this remarkable performance to the effectiveness of the ongoing Customs reform agenda, built on compliance, transparency, and data-driven operations, an initiative of CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

According to Adenuga, the Command's focus on trade facilitation and effective border management has led to a surge in exports, with over 53,000 metric tons of agricultural produce and manufactured goods valued at ₦7.9 billion exported during the period under review. This development demonstrates the renewed confidence of exporters in the Seme Command as a viable trade hub under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), another milestone by the Comptroller General of Customs in Nigeria.

In addition to the revenue growth, the Command has made significant seizures of contraband items, including illicit drugs and expired flour from Egypt, worth ₦1.99 billion between September 1 and October 9, 2025. Notable seizures include 2,043 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 150 bales of second-hand clothing, and 169 bottles of DSP cough syrup with codeine.

Adenuga emphasized the importance of combating smuggling, citing the health risks associated with consuming expired products and the potential to undermine local industries. He reaffirmed the Command's commitment to trade facilitation and effective border management, highlighting efforts to simplify procedures, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and leverage technology to enhance operational efficiency.

"The Seme–Krake border must remain a gateway of prosperity, not criminality," Adenuga declared, underscoring the Command's mission to promote legitimate trade and ensure the well-being of the Nigerian people. The CAC warned illicit cross border traders and other border criminals to stir clear from areas under his Command.