The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, on Monday disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificate approvals granted by the Federal Government on selected imported goods and equipment rose to N34tn in 2025, warning that such fiscal incentives have significantly reduced the service’s revenue-generating capacity.
Adeniyi made the disclosure during an investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja.
At the same session, the committee threatened to invoke sanctions against the heads of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, the Industrial Training Fund, the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, and other agencies for failing to honour its invitation.
Addressing lawmakers, the Customs boss said government fiscal policies often directly affect the agency’s revenue performance, either positively or negatively.
He said although the Nigeria Customs Service remained one of the country’s leading revenue-generating agencies, it could have recorded higher collections over the years if not for government-approved duty waivers and other policy interventions.
According to him, one of the major factors affecting Customs revenue is the Import Duty Exemption Certificate policy introduced in March 2020.
He said, “IDEC approvals reached about N34tn in 2025, 60 per cent of which was rightly granted by the government for military hardware procurement, which attracted duty exemptions because of Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
“Other government-backed waivers included the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, and food import intervention programmes.”
The Customs boss, however, argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on revenue generation, saying that duty waivers also serve broader economic and social objectives.
He, nevertheless, urged the Federal Government to strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of the waivers deliver the expected outcomes, including lower prices, increased industrial production, and improved access to healthcare.
Earlier in his presentation, Adeniyi told the committee that the Customs Service had generated N4.5tn as of June 30 from its N11.04tn revenue target for 2026, leaving about N7tn to be realised before the end of the fiscal year.
