By Majeed Salaam
The modernisation of administration of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is shifting the focus of legislative oversight from simply checking revenue figures to examining whether the systems producing them are becoming stronger, more transparent and predictable.
The Comptroller-General (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, made the case while speaking at the recent two-day retreat for the Senate Committee on Customs in Abuja, themed “Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms.”
Adeniyi urged lawmakers to scrutinise the rules, systems and data underpinning the service’s reforms, particularly as Customs moves from manual processes towards automated administration.
He said effective oversight should examine issues including risk-engine calibration, valuation databases, cargo-release times and the effects of exemptions, rather than focusing exclusively on revenue collections or individual Customs decisions.
The NCS collected N7.28 trillion in 2025, exceeding its target by 10.24 per cent, while collections between January and May 2026 reached N3.35 trillion. But Adeniyi cautioned against treating rising revenue as sufficient evidence that reform is succeeding.
“Revenue performance is important, but it is not the only measure of success. The real question is whether the systems producing that revenue are stronger, more transparent and more predictable,” he said.
