By ebosele@hotmail.com –
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has called for legislative reforms to its legal framework to align Nigeria’s customs and trade laws with evolving global practices and provide stronger statutory backing for its ongoing digital transformation.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made the call at a capacity-building retreat organised for the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs.
Adeniyi said effective legislative oversight requires lawmakers to have a comprehensive understanding of contemporary customs operations, noting that the retreat was aimed at bridging knowledge gaps and giving members of the committee deeper insight into the Service’s ongoing reforms.
He explained that while some provisions of the existing Customs law had served their purpose, others had become difficult to implement or were no longer suited to the rapidly changing global trade environment.
“While some provisions had worked as intended, others had proved difficult to apply or had been overtaken by the rapidly changing trade environment,” Adeniyi said.
He urged the Senate to support substantial amendments to the relevant legislation to ensure that the legal framework remains responsive to emerging trade policies and supports the NCS modernisation agenda.
The CGC also stressed the need for reforms that would provide long-term institutional stability beyond individual administrations.
According to him, although the Service enjoys the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the NCS Board under the leadership of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, legislative protection remains critical to safeguarding the gains of the reforms.
He said statutory reinforcement would ensure that the Service’s transformation remains sustainable and is not dependent on the tenure or policies of any particular administration.
Providing an overview of the modernisation programme, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resources Development, Tijani Abe, highlighted several initiatives being implemented by the Service.
They include the indigenous B’Odogwu Trade Management System, intelligence-driven post-clearance audits, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, coordinated border management and end-to-end digital process integration.
Abe said the initiatives were designed to improve revenue generation, facilitate legitimate trade, enhance operational efficiency and strengthen national security.
Responding, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs, Senator Isah Jibrin, commended the NCS for exceeding its revenue targets despite various operational challenges.
Jibrin assured the Service of the National Assembly’s readiness to provide the legislative support required to consolidate the reforms and sustain the momentum.
“What you need to do is to identify your challenges, try to address them as much as possible, so as to have a much more robust, inclusive, and beyond-budget performance. Where you require legislative backing, please do not hesitate to call on us,” he said.
The senator also congratulated Adeniyi on his re-election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, describing the achievement as a reflection of Nigeria’s growing influence in global trade and customs administration.
