The Nigeria Customs Service has pushed for a comprehensive legislative review of Nigeria’s import waiver and concession regime, urging the National Assembly to examine whether the incentives continue to justify their fiscal cost and support the economic objectives for which they were established.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, also urged the legislative arm to commence a review of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, saying three years of implementation had exposed provisions that may require refinement to keep pace with the country’s rapidly evolving trade environment.
Adeniyi made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during a two-day retreat organised for the Senate Committee on Customs with the theme, “Legislative Oversight in the Context of Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation and Reforms.”
Rather than focusing solely on the Service’s record-breaking revenue performance, the Customs boss challenged lawmakers to shift legislative oversight from individual cargo clearances to the design of the digital systems driving customs operations.
He argued that the next phase of oversight should interrogate automated risk management, valuation databases, cargo release timelines and the effectiveness of tax exemptions instead of isolated operational decisions.
