The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, has asked the National Assembly to periodically review import exemptions, concessions and waivers to determine whether they still serve their original policy objectives.
Adeniyi warned that some incentives could become costly revenue leakages if they remained in place without proper evaluation.
He spoke at a retreat for members of the Senate Committee on Customs in Abuja.
The committee commended the Nigeria Customs Service for generating about N7.3 trillion in 2025, exceeding its N6.5 trillion target.
Committee Chairman Senator Jibrin Isah praised the service for improvements in revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations.
Adeniyi called for stronger legislative support to preserve reforms built around automation, transparency and reduced human discretion.
He said legislative oversight should increasingly examine the integrity of digital systems rather than focus mainly on individual consignments or officers.
According to him, lawmakers should scrutinize risk-management systems, valuation databases, cargo-release times and the continued economic value of exemptions.
He warned that resistance to customs modernization often came from interests that benefited from discretionary processes.
The Customs chief said the B’Odogwu platform and the Trade Modernization Project were creating an electronic environment where actions, delays and interventions could be traced and audited.
He credited the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 with providing the legal basis for electronic processing, advance rulings, Authorized Economic Operator status and sustainable institutional funding.
Adeniyi said customs collected N7.277 trillion in 2025 and N3.35 trillion between January and May 2026.
He cautioned that revenue growth should not be attributed solely to exchange-rate movements, insisting that the real measure of progress was whether stronger institutions and technology were producing durable gains.
He also asked the Senate to protect the independence of the automated risk-management system, saying external influence would undermine its credibility.
The committee assured the service of continued legislative support and congratulated Adeniyi on his re-election as Chair of the World Customs Organization Council.
