News
Customs Generates N1.7trn Revenue, Seizes N7.6bn Goods in Q1
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday announced a revenue generation of N1.7trillion in the first quarter of the year.
The Service, according to the Comptroller General of the Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi also seized goods worth N7.6bn for violating trade regulations.
Adeniyi who briefed newsmen in Abuja said that against the annual target of ₦6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at ₦1,645,000,000,000.00.
He added, “ I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded this target by ₦106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of our quarterly projection. This outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96% increase compared to the same period in 2024, where we collected
₦1,347,705,251,658.31.
“ Our month-by-month analysis reveals even more encouraging details of this growth trajectory. January’s collection of ₦647,880,245,243.67 not only surpassed its monthly target of ₦548.33 billion by 18.12%, but also showed a remarkable 65.77% year-on-year growth. February’s ₦540,105,439,535.18 exceeded its target by 1.3% while achieving 19.97% growth over 2024 figures. March maintained this positive trend with ₦563,516,567,519.20, delivering 2.7% above target and an 11.22% improvement over March 2024.
“ These results substantiate our effective measures to curb revenue losses while streamlining compliant trade. The 29.96% annual increase and steady monthly collections confirm our strategy is working. We’ll maintain this momentum through rigorous enforcement and strengthened partnerships”.
On anti-smuggling, Adeniyi said, “The Nigeria Customs Service maintained robust anti-smuggling operations during the first quarter of 2025, recording 298 seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦7,698,557,347.67. This represents a significant 78.41% increase compared to the ₦4,315,162,568.35 recorded in Q4 2024, demonstrating heightened operational effectiveness. However, when compared to Q1 2024’s
₦9,587,256,998.05, the Service observed a 19.70% reduction in DPV,
attributable to improved compliance through sustained stakeholder engagement and the deterrent effect of our enforcement activities.
“ Rice remained the most prevalent seized commodity, with 159 cases involving 135,474 bags valued at ₦939,309,698.00. Petroleum products followed with 61 seizures totaling 65,819 liters (₦43,336,160.81 DPV). Of particular note were 22 narcotics interceptions valued at ₦730,748,173.00, reflecting our intensified focus on combating drug trafficking. The Service also recorded three high-value wildlife product seizures with a remarkable ₦5,653,522,600.00 DPV, underscoring both the lucrative nature of this illegal trade and our commitment to environmental protection under international conventions.
“ Other notable seizures included textile fabrics (13 cases, ₦134,219,330.00 DPV), retreaded tires (5 cases, ₦104,599,000.00 DPV), and pharmaceuticals (1 case, ₦17,188,000.00 DPV). These comprehensive results demonstrate the Service’s vigilance across all categories of prohibited and restricted goods.
“ The seizure trends highlight several strategic priorities:
a. Continued emphasis on intercepting high-volume items like rice and petroleum products through enhanced border surveillance
b. Specialized operations targeting high-value wildlife trafficking, building on existing collaborations with UNODC and other international partners
c. Sustained focus on dangerous narcotics and pharmaceutical smuggling
d. Implementation of advanced non-intrusive inspection technology to improve detection rates
13. From rice to wildlife, these seizures show our targeted approach. While these results indicate progress in curbing smuggling activities, the Service recognizes the evolving nature of illicit trade. We remain committed to refining our enforcement strategies through intelligence-led operations, technological
advancement, and strengthened interagency cooperation to protect national revenue and security”.
The Customs boss added that trade facilitation remains a core focus of the operations of Customs.
According to him, “we continue striving to balance our revenue collection and enforcement responsibilities with the need to promote legitimate trade. During the first quarter of 2025, the Service processed a total of 327,928 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) for imports, handling goods with a total mass of 4,910,640,283.33 kilograms and a Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value of ₦14,807,960,201,235.00.
“ This represents a 5.28% increase in the number of import transactions compared to the 311,492 SGDs processed in Q1 2024, reflecting growing confidence in our trade facilitation measures. The significant 40.14% increase in the mass of imports processed (from 3,504,173,117.33 kg in Q1 2024) demonstrates robust growth in import volumes, while the 26.72% increase in CIF value (from ₦11,685,677,810,129.00 in Q1 2024) indicates a shift towards higher-value goods.
16. In Q1 2025, the Service processed 8,153 export shipments (SGDs), representing a 6.4% decrease from Q4 2024 (8,710 SGDs) and a 24.4% decline from Q1 2024 (10,786 SGDs). Despite fewer transactions, export mass reached
5.03 billion kilograms – a 10% reduction from Q4 2024’s 5.58 billion kg but a remarkable 348% increase from Q1 2024’s 1.12 billion kg. The CIF value stood at ₦21.51 trillion, showing a 19% increase from Q4 2024’s ₦18.07 trillion while remaining stable compared to Q1 2024’s ₦21.58 trillion. This data clearly suggestive of Nigeria’s accelerating shift toward bulk commodity exports, with significantly larger shipments being processed through fewer transactions, while maintaining consistent total export value – reflecting both changing trade patterns and improved processing efficiency in our export systems.
“ The total trade value handled by the Service in Q1 2025 amounted to
₦36,317,925,576,290.00, demonstrating Nigeria’s substantial participation in international trade despite global economic challenges. This performance reflects
our ongoing commitment to implementing trade facilitation measures that enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market”.
Members of the Enugu State Caucus of Peoples Democratic Party, ( PDP) in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Nnolim Nnaji , Rt. Hon. Martins Oke and Hon Anayo Onwuegbu have welcomed Rt. Hon. Dennis Agbo and Hon. Chidi Mark Obeta of Labour Party, (LP) to the PDP fold.
They observed that the visionary leadership of Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mba in Enugu State has ignited massive decamps and unprecedented upsurge of membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state.
The caucus in a statement issued after the two members of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Dennis Agbo of Igboeze North/ Udenu and Chidi Mark Obeta who represents Nsukka/Igboeze South formally announced their transfer of membership to PDP at the resumption of House plenary on Tuesday said it was gladdening to receive them into the PDP fold.
They stressed that PDP in Enugu State was witnessing a great rebirth as a result of the transformative development agenda being unleashed in various sectors of the economy of the state by Governor Mba which has received global commendations.
The Enugu State caucus Leader, Rt. Hon. Nnolim Nnaji on behalf of the members further noted that Governor Mba’s investments in infrastructure, agro economy, and security among others have made Enugu State a tourist’s haven adding that with the good governance structure he has put in place, his second tenure would be a walkover.
Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, along with twenty-one other former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), elected into the Assembly has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following a major realignment of political stakeholders across the state.
The defection of the twenty-two lawmakers has effectively transformed the Delta State House of Assembly into a one-party legislature, as the remaining seven members were originally elected on the ticket of the APC.
Announcing the development on Tuesday during the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, the Speaker stated that the decision was the result of extensive consultations with their constituents and political leaders throughout the state.
He emphasized that the move aligned with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
While expressing appreciation to members for their contributions so far, Guwor urged the House to ensure the completion of all pending bills as the second legislative session nears its end.
He noted that the political shift towards the APC was in response to the realignment of stakeholders and the desire to align with the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“The mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to the All Progressives Congress was made in the overall interest of Deltans and the state,” the Speaker said.
He explained that the decision followed extensive consultations held on April 23 and which cumulated on the official reception on April 28, 2025, at the Government House and the Cenotaph, respectively.
He said: “We are fully committed to partnering with the Federal Government to deliver greater development to Deltans.
“On behalf of the House, I commend the courage and visionary leadership of our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, in making this strategic and timely decision.
“As a legislative body, we stand with His Excellency in this endeavour. This renewed partnership between the state and Federal Government must be supported and allowed to flourish, so that we can begin to enjoy its benefits in the shortest possible time.”
He informed the House that he had received twenty-two letters (including his own) notifying of the change of party affiliation from the PDP to the APC.
The defection, he said, was driven by instability within the PDP’s national leadership and factional divisions within the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, leading to internal conflicts and disunity within the party.
Citing Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Speaker affirmed the constitutional basis for the defection.
“With this action, the Delta State House of Assembly is now composed entirely of members from the All Progressives Congress. We thank our constituents for endorsing this progressive course of action”.
A motion to adopt the letters of party change was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, and seconded by Hon. Ferguson Onwo, who represents Isoko South II.
Speaking to journalists after the plenary, the Majority Leader, Hon Emeka Nwaobi reiterated that the defection was prompted by the crisis within the PDP.
“Our decision was based on the instability at the national level and the factionalization at the South-South level. Consequently, we chose to move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, in accordance with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” he said.
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