In a bold move to shore up Nigeria’s dwindling revenue and fight economic sabotage, the Senate Committee on Customs has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to raise its 2025 revenue target from ₦6.584 trillion to ₦10 trillion.

The directive was issued on Monday during the agency’s 2025 budget defence before the committee, where lawmakers praised the NCS for surpassing its 2024 revenue expectations—but insisted that the bar must be raised even higher.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East), who led the charge, lauded the NCS for exceeding its ₦5.079 trillion revenue target for 2024 by over ₦1 trillion, hitting ₦6.1 trillion. But he said the time had come for Customs to be more aggressive in its revenue drive.

“You’ve done well, but you can do better,” Senator Jibrin said pointedly. “We are setting your 2025 revenue target at ₦10 trillion. It is ambitious, but it is necessary.”

The proposal, which included ₦6.584 trillion in revenue and ₦1.132 trillion in expenditure, was presented by Deputy Comptroller General Jibo Bello, who represented the Comptroller General of Customs. The committee unanimously adopted it and will now proceed to the Senate floor for approval as plenary resumes Tuesday, June 24, after the Sallah break.

While commending the NCS for impressive numbers, lawmakers emphasised that revenue generation alone is no longer sufficient. The agency must strengthen its core security mandate, especially in curbing the rising tide of illicit drug smuggling and contraband infiltration through Nigeria’s borders.

Senator Jibrin delivered a stern warning: “There’s a drug crisis in this country, and Customs cannot be a bystander. These substances are fueling banditry and violence across Nigeria. You must step up surveillance and enforcement—be ahead of the criminals, not behind them.”

He further decried the continued smuggling of foreign goods into Nigeria despite existing bans and high import duties.

“Too many of the items flooding our markets can be produced locally. We must heed the President’s call to consume what we produce. Every smuggled item is a lost job, a weakened industry, and a drain on our foreign reserves,” he said.

Senator Jibrin urged the NCS to become a proactive force in protecting local industries, adding that reducing dependence on imports is critical to economic stability.

“If we protect and patronise local producers, raw materials that are currently wasting away will find value. Employment will rise. Our economy will grow stronger from within,” he said.

Other committee members, visibly impressed by the NCS presentation, echoed the chairman’s sentiments and backed the upward review of the agency’s revenue target.

The Senate’s new benchmark of ₦10 trillion signals not only a vote of confidence in the Customs Service but also a demand for deeper reform, stronger enforcement, and greater impact on national development.