The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on Tuesday, chaired the 62nd regular meeting of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Board at the Service’s headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, with a call for increased momentum in revenue generation and institutional reforms.
The board meeting provided a platform to assess the operational strategies, fiscal contributions, and reform initiatives of the NCS, especially in light of its first quarter 2025 performance. The Service recorded a revenue of ₦1.75 trillion in Q1, surpassing its budgeted target by ₦106.5 billion and reflecting a nearly 30 percent rise compared to the same period in 2024.
Speaking after the session, Edun expressed satisfaction with the upward trend in revenue but stressed the need for more aggressive efforts to meet Nigeria’s growing economic demands. He described the performance as commendable but reiterated that the Service holds a critical role in the nation’s revenue generation drive and must continue to do more.
“As is expected and required, there is an improvement in the revenue of the Service, which is slightly above what was budgeted for the first quarter. However, much more is required, and more is expected of an institution that is pivotal in revenue,” the Minister stated.
He further described the meeting as productive and underscored the importance of accountability and corporate governance through regular statutory board sessions. According to him, such meetings are crucial in ensuring transparency, improved service delivery, and strategic oversight.
“It was a good meeting. It’s important that we maintain corporate governance oversight and consultation through these regular statutory meetings. At the end of the day, we will always ask that we do more to improve the revenue and the Service’s operations to aid the Nigerian economy and serve the good people of Nigeria,” he said.
The board also reviewed key modernisation initiatives, including the expansion of the Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, the implementation of the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) programme, and intensified anti-smuggling strategies. These efforts are targeted at enhancing trade facilitation, operational efficiency, and national security.
The meeting marked another step in the Service’s ongoing transformation agenda, as the board reaffirmed its commitment to aligning Customs operations with global best practices for the benefit of the nation.