…Announces screening venue for recruitment

By Uche Usim and Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated N1.38 trillion in revenue in July and August 2026, as improved use of technology, better trade processes and stronger anti-smuggling operations boosted its collections.

The NCS National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Tuesday at the joint security agencies’ spokespersons’ press briefing in Abuja.

Maiwada said the Service collected N784.66 billion in July and another N595.58 billion in August, bringing the total for the two months to N1.38 trillion.

He said the performance reflected efforts by Customs to make its operations more efficient while reducing revenue leakages.

“Revenue performance remained significant, with the Service generating N784,656,042,005.97 in July, and N595,581,420,186.23 in August, representing a combined revenue collection of N1.38 trillion over the period,” Maiwada said.

The Apapa Area Command was one of the major contributors to the improved performance.

According to Maiwada, the command generated a record N323 billion in July, its highest monthly collection since its establishment.

The command also broke its previous single-day revenue record on August 18, when it collected N28.1 billion in one day.

The new record surpassed the previous N20.1 billion daily collection achieved in September 2025.

The figures underline the importance of Nigeria’s major ports to government revenue, as Customs collects duties and other charges on goods brought into the country.

Beyond revenue collection, Maiwada said Customs processed 90,985 Single Goods Declarations in the two months.

Of the total, 55,731 were processed in July while 35,254 were handled in August.

The Service also processed 8,873 Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports during the period.

These processes are designed to help Customs assess goods before they are cleared, making it easier to identify irregularities and speed up legitimate trade.

The Customs spokesperson said the country’s export activities also recorded improvement.

He said the Lilypond Export Command recorded export goods worth $792.57 million in the second quarter of 2026, representing a 24.35 per cent increase from the $599.60 million recorded in the same period of the previous year.

Export container traffic also increased by 32.27 per cent to 5,510 containers.

Agricultural exports were valued at $422.09 million, while manufactured goods rose to $350.67 million, nearly three times the previous figure.

Collections under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme also increased by 9.52 per cent to N5.38 billion.

Maiwada added that between July and August, Customs processed 9,322 export containers carrying agricultural products, manufactured goods, solid minerals and other items.

The Service also reported major successes in its fight against smuggling and other forms of illegal trade.

Maiwada said Customs Area Commands and Federal Operations Units seized smuggled and prohibited goods with a combined Duty Paid Value of more than N61.3 billion during the period.

Among the seizures were 25,295 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, cannabis and heavy machinery intercepted by the Adamawa/Taraba Command.

The goods, valued at N362.2 million, were allegedly being moved illegally towards Chad.

The Federal Operations Unit Zone A also broke up a smuggling operation valued at N3.24 billion and recovered N728.98 million in lost revenue. The unit additionally seized 1,439.9kg of synthetic cannabis, controlled tablets and 22 elephant tusks.

The Ogun I Command intercepted goods worth N3.57 billion, including rice, sugar and cannabis, while the Seme Command seized expired noodles, rice, cannabis and 310,000 sticks of cigarettes valued at N365.2 million.

Maiwada attributed the improved performance to stronger cooperation among security agencies and increased use of technology in Customs operations.

He said technology-driven enforcement was helping the Service detect illegal activities more quickly while making legitimate trade easier.

The latest revenue performance comes as the Federal Government continues to look to agencies such as Customs to increase internally generated revenue and reduce dependence on borrowing.

For businesses, however, the challenge remains finding the right balance between collecting more revenue and ensuring that importers and exporters can move their goods through Nigerian ports without unnecessary delays and additional costs.

Customs said its focus would remain on improving efficiency, blocking leakages, facilitating legitimate trade and strengthening border security.

Meanwhile, the NCS has scheduled physical screening and documentation for successful candidates in its ongoing recruitment exercise, with the exercise to hold at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The Service, in a statement issued Tuesday by its National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, directed all shortlisted candidates to appear on the dates assigned to their respective states and cadres.

It warned that candidates must report on their scheduled dates, as failure to attend could lead to disqualification from the recruitment process.

The NCS said candidates are required to bring both original copies and photocopies of their documents for verification.

The required documents include the National Identification Number (NIN), birth certificate or declaration of age, educational certificates from O’Level to degree level, where applicable, Certificate of State of Origin, two recent passport photographs, a completed Guarantor’s Form and NYSC Certificate, where applicable.

Candidates have also been instructed to appear in a white T-shirt, shorts and canvas shoes for the screening.

The Service said those who successfully complete the screening and documentation would receive information on the subsequent stages of the recruitment process.

Maiwada, speaking on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to a transparent, fair and merit-based recruitment process.

He urged candidates to obtain recruitment information only through official NCS channels and warned against relying on unofficial sources for updates.

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