NEWS
Beyond Revenue: How Nigeria Customs is Using Global Partnerships to Transform Trade
By Tambaya Julius
For many Nigerians, the word Customs has long been associated with what happens at the border-cargo inspections, payment of duties, seizure of prohibited goods and the fight against smuggling.
That perception is understandable.
For decades, these activities have been among the most visible responsibilities of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).But the world of trade is changing, and Customs is changing with it.
International commerce today is far more complicated than it was years ago.
Goods can pass through several countries before reaching their final destination.Criminal networks have become more sophisticated, while legitimate businesses increasingly demand faster clearance, clearer procedures and greater certainty.
Governments, too, need reliable trade information to make sound economic decisions.
Technology has added another layer to this transformation.
Against this backdrop, the work of a modern Customs administration cannot be measured only by how much revenue it collects or how many seizures it records.
The bigger test is whether it can protect the country’s economic interests while allowing legitimate businesses to trade with fewer obstacles; identify risks before they become serious threats; share intelligence with international partners; use technology effectively; and build relationships that make global supply chains safer and more efficient.
This is the context in which the evolving role of the Nigeria Customs Service deserves attention.
Under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Service has increasingly projected itself beyond the traditional image of a border enforcement agency.
Its expanding involvement in international cooperation, trade diplomacy, technological modernisation and global Customs governance reflects a broader understanding of the role Customs can play in a modern economy.
For Nigeria, this matters.
As the country works to diversify its economy, increase non-oil exports, support local industries, attract investment and improve the ease of doing business, Customs is becoming an increasingly important part of that economic conversation.
A New Understanding of Customs
Modern Customs faces a delicate balancing act.
On one hand, it must protect the country against smuggling, under-invoicing, prohibited goods, money laundering, counterfeiting and other forms of economic crime.
On the other hand, it must ensure that legitimate businesses are not punished by unnecessary delays, complicated procedures and uncertainty at the border.
The challenge is therefore no longer simply about controlling what enters or leaves the country.
It is about controlling risk while keeping legitimate trade moving.
That requires a different approach.
Rather than treating every shipment as equally risky, modern Customs administrations are increasingly relying on intelligence, data analysis, risk management and technology to determine which consignments require closer attention.
This allows officers to concentrate their resources on suspicious or high-risk cargo while compliant shipments can move more quickly.
For a country like Nigeria, the importance of this approach cannot be overstated.
Nigeria’s ports, airports and land borders connect its economy to markets across Africa, Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. When goods are unnecessarily delayed, the consequences can extend beyond the importer.
Manufacturers may wait for raw materials. Exporters may miss delivery schedules. Retailers may face higher costs. Eventually, consumers may bear part of the burden.
The reverse is also true.
When Customs procedures become faster, more transparent and more predictable, the benefits can spread throughout the economy.
From Seizures to Supply Chain Security
Nigeria’s growing participation in the activities of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) offers a useful window into this changing role.
The world Customs Organisation (WCO) provides a global platform through which Customs administrations cooperate on enforcement, trade facilitation, capacity building and international standards.
Nigeria’s increasing visibility within the organisation has also created opportunities for the NCS to bring its own experiences to international discussions.
A notable example came in March 2026 during the 46th Session of the WCO Enforcement Committee in Brussels.
The development was significant because it reflected the growing importance of enforcement within the wider conversation about global trade security.
But there is a bigger issue behind it.
Customs enforcement is no longer something that one country can effectively handle alone.
Smuggling networks operate across borders. So do the trafficking of drugs, counterfeit products, weapons, proceeds of crime and other illicit commodities.
A suspicious shipment intercepted in Nigeria may have originated somewhere else. Equally, information gathered by Nigerian Customs may be relevant to authorities in another country.
That is why intelligence sharing has become so important.
The criminals may be thinking internationally. Customs administrations must do the same.
This represents a significant change from the traditional view of Customs as an institution whose responsibility ends at the national border.
The Diplomacy Behind Trade Facilitation
Nigeria’s changing approach is also visible in its growing bilateral engagement with major trading partners.
The relationship between the NCS and the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides a good example.
To an outsider, a meeting between two Customs administrations might appear to be a technical affair.
In reality, such discussions can have direct implications for trade, government revenue, business confidence and economic planning.
During the Nigeria-UK engagement, one issue that attracted attention was the considerable difference between trade figures recorded by the two countries.
Nigeria’s records put imports from the United Kingdom in 2024 at about £504 million, while UK records indicated exports to Nigeria of approximately £1.7 billion.
The gap naturally raises questions.
Why are the figures so different?
Are there differences in the way goods are valued or declared? Are some goods being routed through third countries?
Could better information-sharing provide both countries with a clearer picture of bilateral trade?
These are more than statistical questions.
Reliable trade data is essential to effective economic planning, revenue administration and Customs risk management.
This is why discussions around pre-arrival data exchange are important.
If Customs authorities know more about a shipment before it reaches the border, they can begin assessing the risk earlier.
Suspicious transactions can be flagged, while compliant cargo may be processed more quickly.
For businesses, that means greater predictability.
For government, it can strengthen compliance and revenue assurance.
For the wider economy, it can help create a more efficient trading environment.
That is where Customs diplomacy begins to have practical economic value.
Building Trust Between Trading Partners
At the heart of successful international Customs cooperation is trust.
Countries must be confident that information shared with their counterparts will be handled properly and used for legitimate purposes.
Businesses also need confidence that compliance will be recognised and that Customs procedures will be applied fairly and predictably.
This explains the growing importance of mutual administrative assistance, technical cooperation and information-sharing arrangements.
The objective is not to weaken enforcement.
It is to make enforcement smarter.
When Customs administrations share useful intelligence, a risk identified in one country can serve as an early warning for another.
An unusual shipment, suspicious company or questionable transaction can be investigated before it develops into a larger problem.
The result is a system that depends less on indiscriminate physical inspection and more on intelligence-led intervention.
That is one of the defining features of modern Customs administration.
Technology Is Changing the Border
Technology is at the centre of this transformation.
At the 2026 WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, attention focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, advanced analytics, digital platforms and other emerging technologies capable of changing the way Customs operates.
For Nigeria, participation in such international discussions is an opportunity not only to learn from other countries but also to showcase what is being developed locally.
The NCS’s modernisation efforts, including the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) and the indigenous B’Odogwu platform, form part of that wider transformation.
But technology, by itself, is not the goal.
The important question is what technology delivers.
Does it reduce clearance time?
Does it make procedures more transparent?
Does it help officers identify risks more accurately?
Does it strengthen revenue collection?
Does it make compliance easier for legitimate traders?
These are the measures that should ultimately determine whether digital transformation is succeeding.
Modernisation is not simply about replacing paper with computers.
It is about changing how an institution works, how decisions are made and how businesses interact with government.
Data Is Becoming the New Border
One of the most significant changes in Customs administration is the growing importance of data.
In the past, physical inspection was at the centre of border control.
Today, information about a shipment can be just as important as the cargo itself.
Who shipped it?
Who purchased it?
Where did it originate?
What is its declared value?
What route did it take?
Who stands to benefit from the transaction?
Has the trader previously been linked to suspicious activity?
Are there inconsistencies in the documentation?
When such information is properly collected and analysed, Customs can identify potential risks before a container is physically opened.
This explains the growing importance of data exchange between Customs administrations, particularly in addressing cargo diversion and other forms of supply-chain exploitation.
For Nigeria, stronger data capabilities could produce significant benefits.
Better information can lead to better risk assessment.
Better risk assessment can lead to faster clearance for compliant traders.
Faster clearance can reduce the cost of doing business.
And lower costs can make Nigerian businesses more competitive.
The link between technology and economic value is therefore clear.
Looking Towards Asia
Nigeria’s Customs diplomacy is also expanding towards Asia, reflecting the country’s growing commercial relationship with major economies in the region.
Engagement with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department is one example.
Nigeria’s trade relationship with Malaysia has expanded significantly, with imports rising from approximately ₦159.9 billion in 2020 to about ₦716 billion in 2024.
Cumulative trade has been estimated at roughly ₦1.82 trillion.
Those figures demonstrate why stronger Customs-to-Customs cooperation is becoming increasingly necessary.
As trade grows, the institutions responsible for facilitating and regulating that trade must also strengthen their relationship.
This is part of the thinking behind discussions on a possible Mutual Recognition Agreement under relevant WCO frameworks.
The objective is to build greater confidence in each country’s systems and create more predictable Customs procedures for compliant businesses.
It also fits into the broader development of trusted-trader programmes such as the Authorised Economic Operator framework.
The idea is straightforward: a business with a consistent record of compliance should not necessarily face the same level of intervention as one that presents a higher risk.
This allows Customs to focus its attention where it is most needed while giving businesses an incentive to maintain strong compliance standards.
When Customs Diplomacy Becomes Economic Diplomacy
Taken together, Nigeria’s engagements in Brussels, London, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur reveal something much larger than a series of international meetings.
They point to a changing understanding of Customs diplomacy.
It is no longer simply about representing Nigeria at international conferences.
It is about using international relationships to address practical problems.
Trade discrepancies can be investigated through better data-sharing.
Smuggling can be confronted through intelligence cooperation.
Cargo diversion can be tackled through Customs-to-Customs collaboration.
Border delays can be reduced through digital systems.
Compliance can be encouraged through trusted-trader programmes.
And Customs officers can improve their capabilities through international knowledge exchange.
In this sense, diplomacy becomes an operational tool.
That may be one of the most important aspects of the current direction of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The value of international engagement should ultimately be measured by what it delivers at home.
The Human Side of Modernisation
There is another part of the modernisation story that deserves attention: the people behind the technology.
No digital platform can replace skilled and properly trained officers.
As Customs becomes increasingly dependent on data, intelligence and technology, officers must develop the skills needed to work effectively in that environment.
The Customs officer of the future will need to understand much more than tariff classification and physical inspection.
Data analysis, digital systems, international trade standards, financial crime indicators, intellectual property protection and emerging forms of cross-border crime will increasingly form part of the profession.
This makes human capital development just as important as investment in infrastructure and technology.
An institution does not become modern simply because it acquires new equipment.
Its people must be capable of using the equipment, understanding the information it produces and making sound decisions from that information.
From Global Visibility to Domestic Value
International recognition is valuable, but visibility alone cannot be the ultimate objective.
For Nigeria, the more important question is:
What does all this global engagement deliver for the Nigerian economy?
The potential benefits are substantial.
International cooperation can provide better intelligence.
Better intelligence can strengthen enforcement.
Stronger enforcement can protect legitimate businesses and government revenue.
Digital systems can reduce transaction costs.
Improved trade data can support better economic planning.
Stronger relationships with trading partners can build compliance and trust.
And faster, more predictable Customs procedures can help make Nigeria more attractive to investors and international businesses.
When these elements come together, Customs becomes much more than a revenue-collecting institution.
It becomes part of the infrastructure that keeps the economy moving.
A Customs Service Looking Beyond the Border
The transformation within the Nigeria Customs Service is part of a much wider change taking place around the world.
Borders remain important, but the modern border is no longer limited to a port gate, airport terminal or land checkpoint.
Increasingly, the border begins before cargo arrives, through advance information and risk assessment.
It continues after clearance through post-clearance controls, intelligence sharing and international cooperation.
The most effective Customs administration, therefore, is not necessarily the one that physically examines the greatest number of consignments.
It is the one that can identify risks accurately, intervene where necessary and allow legitimate trade to move with minimal disruption.
Nigeria’s growing participation in global Customs affairs suggests that the NCS is increasingly recognising this reality.
Its engagement within the WCO, cooperation with HMRC and Malaysian Customs, participation in international technology discussions and investment in digital modernisation all point towards a more connected approach to enforcement and trade facilitation.
The economic implications are considerable.
Nigeria cannot fully benefit from international trade if its borders are insecure.
But the country cannot maximise the benefits of trade either if legitimate businesses face unnecessary delays, high transaction costs and unpredictable procedures.
The future, therefore, lies in balance: strong enforcement without unnecessary obstruction; faster trade without weaker controls; technology without losing the human element; and international cooperation that produces measurable results at home.
That is the frontier towards which modern Customs is moving.
If Nigeria can successfully turn its expanding international partnerships into tangible improvements in trade facilitation, revenue assurance, supply-chain security and business confidence, the Nigeria Customs Service will increasingly be viewed in a broader context.
Not merely as an institution that guards the country’s borders, but as an institution helping to determine how effectively Nigeria connects with the global economy.
Beyond the border, therefore, lies a much larger responsibility.
It is the responsibility to make trade safer, make commerce easier and, ultimately, make international trade work better for Nigeria.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
League of Women Voters
of Nigeria (NILOWV) on Tuesday, tasks the National Assembly on the quick passage of Special Seat bill for women and people with disability.
The President of NILOWV, Hon.
Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, stated this while briefing the media in commemoration of 2026 International day of Democracy, in Abuja.She lamented that no nation can claim to leave a lasting democratic legacy without it’s commitment to inclusive democracy that include women and people with disabilities.
She there begged NASS not to waste the opportunity but to make history, the opportunity to tell the daughters of
Nigeria that Parliament sees them, the opportunity to tell young women that their political aspirations
are legitimate, the opportunity to strengthen our democracy.
She said, “The Special Seats Bill presents an opportunity to leave a lasting democratic legacy. The question is not
whether Nigerian women are asking for too much. The question is whether Nigeria can continue to
claim that it is committed to inclusive democracy while women remain so dramatically
underrepresented.
“You have the opportunity to make history, the opportunity to tell the daughters of
Nigeria that Parliament sees them, the opportunity to tell young women that their political aspirations
are legitimate, the opportunity to strengthen our democracy. Please, do not waste this opportunity”.
She noted that, “This day is not merely a day for speeches, ceremonies and declarations. It is a day for reflection. It is a day to ask difficult questions. It is a day to examine whether the democracy we practise truly reflects the aspirations of the people. It is a day to ask whether every citizen has a meaningful opportunity to participate. It is a day to ask whether our institutions are working. It is a day to ask whether our political
parties are truly democratic. And, most importantly for us at NILOWV, it is a day to ask whether Nigerian women who constitute approximately half of our population are being given a fair and meaningful opportunity to participate in political leadership and decision-making”.
She lamented, “The final list of National Assembly candidates provides us with a sobering picture. There are 4,408
candidates contesting for seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. Of this number: 3,965 are
men while only 443 are women. Women therefore constitute approximately 10 percent of the candidates, while men constitute approximately 90 percent. This means that, for roughly every one
woman appearing on the National Assembly ballot, there are about nine men.
“These figures are more than statistics they represent the continuing imbalance in access to political power. They tell us that although Nigerian women are participating in the political process, the pathway from participation to actual political power remains extremely difficult and this is where we must
distinguish between participation and representation.
“Women may constitute a large proportion of voters Women may attend political meetings. Women may
mobilise communities. Women may campaign tirelessly. Women may provide food, logistics and
grassroots structures during elections.
“Women may even constitute the majority of volunteers in some
political activities but when it comes to the point at which tickets are allocated, resources are distributed and candidates are selected for elective office, the numbers suddenly collapse.
“That is the problem Women are often visible in political mobilisation but invisible in political power that
is not equality that is not inclusion and that is not the democracy Nigeria should be proud of” .
She decries, “We must humanise these figures. Behind the 443 women on the ballot are hundreds of Nigerian women
who have decided that they are ready to serve but behind the thousands of women who are not on the
ballot are also stories. There is the woman who wanted to contest but could not afford the nomination
and expression-of-interest fees. There is the woman who had the qualifications but lacked the political
godfather.
“There is the woman whose party told her to wait. There is the woman who was encouraged to contest but later discovered that the ticket had already
been informally allocated. There is the woman who was told that she could serve better as a campaign
mobiliser than as a candidate. There is the woman who was warned that politics is too dangerous for
her.
“There is the woman who was threatened. There is the woman who was sexually harassed. There is
the woman who was subjected to online abuse.There is the woman who was told that she was too ambitious. There is the woman whose competence
was questioned simply because she is a woman and there are women who have watched all these
experiences and quietly concluded:
“Perhaps politics is not for people like me.”
She therefore concluded by urging every Nigerian not to give up on democracy, ‘Instead, demand a better democracy.
Democracy belongs to citizens. If we withdraw, others will’.
The Abia Government has elevated selected cultural and natural sites to state heritage and monuments as part of efforts to position them for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting on Monday in Umuahia.
Kanu said the State Executive Council had approved the declaration of selected heritage and natural sites as state heritage and monuments to strengthen their preservation and promotion.
He said the approved sites included the National War Museum, Ojukwu Bunker and Government College, all in Umuahia, as state monuments.
He also listed the Ibom Waterfall in Arochukwu and Ulochukwu Caves at Alayi Bende as state natural monuments.
According to him, the elevation of the sites would enhance their tourism potential and position them for possible recognition as UNESCO heritage sites.
Kanu also announced the designation of Aba as a Creative and Innovative City, saying the move was part of efforts to promote the state’s cultural, creative and tourism potential.
He further said that the retrofitting of the Ojukwu Bunker and National War Museum had reached about 80 per cent completion and was expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
The commissioner said that the projects, when completed, would enhance the preservation and historical value of the sites, improve visitor experience and increase their tourism potential.
Kanu said the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy had commenced the development of the Ibom Waterfall Tourism Corridor in Arochukwu.
He said that initial development works, including the grading of access roads to the waterfall, had commenced, adding that the project was expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
According to him, the project is expected to unlock additional tourism and economic opportunities in the state.
He said that the ministry had also commenced the erection of monuments at strategic locations across the state to preserve Abia’s heritage and honour its heroes and heroines.
Kanu said one of the monuments would honour the heroines of the 1929 Aba Women’s Uprising, celebrating their courage, resilience, resistance and leadership.
The commissioner said that the initiatives reflected the state government’s broader efforts to preserve its historical and cultural assets while using them to drive tourism and economic development.
On tax rates in the state, Kanu said the rates being circulated were not new, adding that most dated back to 2020 and were introduced by the previous administration.
He said that the Abia Board of Internal Revenue could not increase tax rates without enabling laws and that no such increase had been introduced by the board.
Kanu also dismissed reports that an akara seller was paying N50, 000 in tax, describing the claim as false.
“Akara sellers don’t pay tax or levies, they pay daily tolls, and none can pay as high as N50, 000,” he said.
On gratuity payments, Kanu said that the state government had paid the batch covering 2001 to 2010, while preparations covering 2011 to 2025 were being processed.
He dismissed claims that the government was compelled by the opposition to commence gratuity payments, describing the narrative as misleading.
He explained that the government had incorporated gratuity provisions into its 2026 to 2030 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to ensure that future arrears did not accumulate.
“This does not translate to the payments being terminated in 2031.
“So, as soon as the internal processes are done with, these payments will continue at pace and in batches,” Kanu said.(NAN)
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced an annual preventive maintenance of its 330/132 Kilo Volt (kV) at Ajaokuta Transmission Substation.
It said that the maintenance was scheduled to take place on Tuesday from 9am to 4pm.
The management of the company announced this on its X handle in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to TCN, the exercise will enable its crew to carry out preventive maintenance on the 162 MegaVolt Ampree (MVA), 330/132kV power transformer, associated switchgear and ancillary equipment in the substation.
It said that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) would be unable to off-take electricity to its customers in Ekirin, Omuo, Ibillo, Akoko, Ogala, Ikare, Magongo, Okene Town, Ayere, Kabba and environs during the period.
”Similarly, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) will be unable to off-take electricity to its customers in Okpella Town, BUA Cement Company, West African Fertiliser Company, Dibeks Milling Company, and Edestein Company.
”Other areas to be affected include the Freedom Group Company, Ososo, Uluoke, Iyora, Apana, Okpekpe, Arigidi, Ikare Town, Lampese, Igara, Oka and environs,” it said.
The company said that power supply would be restored to the affected areas upon completion of the exercise.
It also apologised for the inconvenience the planned maintenance would cause affected electricity customers, and appreciated their understanding and cooperation.(NAN)
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