- Customs Zone ‘A’ Targets ₦8trn Revenue as Cargo Clearance Accelerates
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘A’, is targeting nearly ₦8 trillion in revenue for 2026 despite declining cargo volumes across major ports and border commands.
The Zonal Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohamed Babandede, disclosed this during an engagement with members of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), noting that the zone remains committed to contributing significantly to the Federal Government’s revenue target.
Zone ‘A’, which accounts for about 80 per cent of the NCS’s total revenue, comprises 16 commands, including Apapa, Tin-Can Island, Lekki Deep Sea Port, PTML, Seme and Ogun Commands.
Babandede said the Service was leveraging reforms, automation and technology to strengthen revenue collection while making legitimate trade faster, easier and more predictable.
He explained that greater emphasis was now being placed on compliant traders, noting that properly documented consignments could complete the clearance process and leave Customs control within 48 hours.
According to him, the Service is also strengthening its one-stop-shop approach to eliminate unnecessary interventions after cargo has been examined and officially released.
Babandede stressed that once a consignment had undergone the required examination and received formal clearance, it should not be subjected to further stoppages by Customs officers in other parts of the country.
“Any intelligence or information requiring further intervention should be acted upon before the cargo is released,” he said, adding that the policy was designed to reduce avoidable delays and promote legitimate trade.
The Zonal Coordinator also revealed that the NCS was working towards achieving fully paperless operations by the end of 2026. He said critical stages of the cargo clearance process, including declaration, examination and release, were increasingly being migrated to electronic platforms.
He added that technology would also be deployed to improve the monitoring of transit cargo, with electronic tracking systems expected to provide greater visibility of consignments throughout the supply chain.
However, Babandede noted that the success of the Service’s trade facilitation initiatives would depend significantly on the compliance of importers and other stakeholders.
He urged importers to submit accurate, complete and transparent declarations, stressing that technology alone could not eliminate delays caused by inaccurate or misleading information.
The Zone ‘A’ Coordinator said the ultimate objective of the NCS was to maintain a balance between revenue generation, trade facilitation and effective border control, particularly amid declining cargo volumes and increasing pressure on government revenue targets.
