By Ayomide Otitoju
The Senate has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to raise its revenue target for 2025 from ₦6 trillion to ₦10 trillion, amid concerns over worsening smuggling activities and national security threats.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Senator Isah Jibrin, issued the directive on Monday during a budget defence session with Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Jibo Bello.
Lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the agency’s current revenue enforcement framework, particularly its failure to implement the 4% Freight on Board (FOB) tariff — a charge based on the cost of imported goods.
Bello disclosed that the Ministry of Finance had instructed the Service to suspend collection of the charge, a move the Senate deemed unlawful.
“The law has not been repealed,” Senator Jibrin said. “We expect compliance, not administrative disregard. The Minister of Finance must appear before us and explain the rationale behind this directive.”
Finance Minister Wale Edun is scheduled to appear before the committee on Thursday to clarify the ministry’s decision and address wider concerns around fiscal discipline and national revenue mobilization.
The Senate emphasized that increasing Customs revenue is essential to bolstering national security, strengthening border controls, and funding key developmental projects under the 2025 appropriation framework.
