CDS, Gen. Musa Lauds Customs Mgmt During ICD 2025 Celebration

…As Adeniyi Showcases Milestones in Trade Facilitation, Security, Economic Growth

BY FUNMI ALUKO

Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its innovation and adaptability in addressing evolving trade and security challenges.

Gen Musa who was the Special Guest of Honor at the International Customs Day 2025 celebration held on Monday, 27 January, at the Customs House in Abuja, used the opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the military in partnering with the NCS to combat smuggling.

This is even as the NCS used the opportunity to highlight some of its achievements in trade facilitation, border security, and economic development under the theme, “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity.”

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, in his remarks lauded the Service’s record-breaking ₦6.1 trillion revenue collection in 2024, which exceeded its target by 20.2% and marked a 90.4% year-on-year increase. He attributed this milestone to strategic reforms, innovative processes, and the adoption of advanced technologies such as the indigenous B’Odogwu customs clearance platform, which has processed transactions worth billions of naira.

Adeniyi also highlighted trade facilitation initiatives, including the Advanced Ruling System and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which have reduced clearance delays and disputes, contributing to a 66.9% reduction in cargo clearance time for certified AEO companies.

On security, the CGC noted the Service’s success in tackling global risks, including anti-money laundering, drug trafficking, and wildlife protection. In 2024, he stated that the NCS seized narcotics worth billions of naira, intercepted illegal wildlife shipments valued at ₦5.93 billion, and deployed geo-spatial integration and enhanced risk assessment protocols to strengthen border security.

“Our trade facilitation efforts managed imports valued at ₦60.29 trillion and exports worth ₦136.65 trillion, while strategically granting ₦1.68 trillion in concessions to promote industrial growth,” Adeniyi added, reaffirming the NCS’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic agenda.

The Special Guest of Honor, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, commended the NCS for its innovation and adaptability in addressing evolving trade and security challenges. “The Armed Forces will continue to support the NCS in promoting national security and prosperity,” Musa assured, while congratulating award recipients for their contributions to the Service.

Representing the World Customs Organization (WCO), Secretary-General Ian Sanders praised global customs administrations for advancing trade facilitation, security, and sustainability. He urged members to transform commitments into measurable actions and emphasised the importance of modernisation, data-driven operations, and public-private cooperation in achieving the WCO objectives.

Assistant Comptroller-General Dera Nnadi, in charge of Strategic Research and Policy, noted the alignment of the WCO theme with the NCS’s focus on collaboration, consolidation, and innovation.

The event attracted senior Customs officers, stakeholders, and representatives from other security agencies, showcasing the NCS’s resolve to strengthen its operations and contributions to Nigeria’s economic development.