Morganable Politics/Legislative Affairs
Following deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the committee’s recommendations to a voice vote, with lawmakers unanimously approving both the revenue and expenditure proposals
kaNo —
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday approved the 2026 budget proposal of the Nigeria Customs Service, endorsing a revenue target of N11.074tn and an expenditure estimate of N1.295tn for the fiscal year.
The approval followed the consideration and adoption of a report presented by the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs during plenary, marking a significant step in the National Assembly’s ongoing review of budgets for key revenue-generating agencies.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Isah Jibrin, said the panel undertook a detailed review of the agency’s 2025 budget performance before examining the 2026 estimates.
Despite the strong showing, Jibrin noted that the agency could have generated even more revenue if not for certain fiscal and global economic constraints.
These, he said, included the suspension of excise duties on telecommunications services, government policies encouraging local production of healthcare products, and disruptions to global trade caused by the Russia-Ukraine War, which affected imports such as wheat.
On the expenditure side, the committee revealed that although the Customs Service had an approved budget of about N1.132tn in 2025, its actual spending stood at N591bn
. The relatively low capital utilisation, according to Jibrin, was largely due to delays in project approvals by the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council, leading to the rollover of several projects into the 2026 fiscal year.
He explained that the 2026 revenue target of N11.074tn would be driven by reforms within the Customs Service, including increased deployment of technology, enhanced revenue recovery strategies, real-time audit systems, improved trade facilitation and intensified anti-smuggling operations.
The committee further disclosed that the proposed expenditure of N1.295tn is structured into N421bn for personnel costs, N307bn for overhead expenses and N565bn for capital projects.
Funding for the budget, it added, would be derived largely from the statutory four per cent Free on Board levy provided under the Nigerian Customs Service Act, 2023.
Based on its findings, the committee recommended that the Senate approve both the revenue target and the expenditure estimates, a recommendation that received overwhelming support from lawmakers during the debate.
Contributing, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin commended the committee for what he described as a thorough and well-articulated report.
He also praised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the agency’s personnel for their impressive revenue performance.
Barau said the Customs Service’s ability to exceed its revenue target justified President Bola Tinubu’s decision to extend the tenure of the Comptroller-General.
He added that despite the increase in revenue generation, the agency maintained fiscal discipline by limiting its expenditure to N591bn, with a significant portion directed toward capital projects rather than recurrent costs.
According to him, the ambitious proposal to generate over N11tn in 2026 reflects the confidence of the Customs leadership in ongoing reforms and innovations within the service.
“For an agency to propose generating N11 trillion and spending only N1.2 trillion to run its operations shows remarkable fiscal discipline. This is an institution Nigerians should be proud of,” Barau stated
Following deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the committee’s recommendations to a voice vote, with lawmakers unanimously approving both the revenue and expenditure proposals.
He expressed confidence that the approved budget would strengthen the agency’s operations and enhance its contribution to government revenue.
He also thanked senators for their contributions, noting that the approval aligns with broader efforts by the National Assembly to ensure that revenue-generating agencies are adequately funded to meet national economic objectives.
The development comes as the legislature continues its consideration of the 2026 budgets of key government agencies, with the Federal Government increasingly relying on non-oil revenue sources to support budget implementation and reduce dependence on borrowing.
Earlier this week, the agency announced the establishment of an INTERPOL Data Centre at its headquarters in Abuja, providing officers with access to one of the world’s largest criminal intelligence networks.
Speaking during a demonstration of the facility, Adeniyi described the development as a major milestone in the service’s transition to technology-driven operations and intelligence-led enforcement.
He said Customs enforcement has evolved beyond traditional compliance methods, with digital tools now playing a central role in combating transnational crime and enhancing operational efficiency.
According to him, the planned signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with INTERPOL would further strengthen collaboration and intelligence-sharing between both organisations.
The Comptroller-General also highlighted the service’s indigenous B’Odogwu platform, describing it as an innovative digital solution designed to enhance trade facilitation within Nigeria and across other African customs administrations.
Providing further insight, INTERPOL consultant Chikwe Udensi said the Abuja facility is the eighth INTERPOL Data Centre in Africa.
Udensi explained that the system enables officers to instantly verify whether goods or transport assets have been reported stolen anywhere in the world, thereby strengthening investigations, improving border security and boosting revenue generation through real-time intelligence.
Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, said officers have already been trained to operate the system, which has been fully integrated into the service’s ICT infrastructure.
He added that the platform enhances cargo profiling, valuation and risk assessment by providing accurate information on the origin and description of goods.
The combination of improved funding, technological innovation and enhanced enforcement capacity could position the Nigeria Customs Service to meet its ambitious revenue targets in 2026.
However, sustained performance will depend on consistent policy implementation, efficient project execution and the ability to navigate global economic uncertainties that could impact trade volumes.
