The Nigeria Customs Service has announced a significant revenue increase under its Authorised Economic Operator programme, with collections rising from N1.22tn before certification to N1.58tn after certification.
According to a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the N362.79bn growth represents a 29.68 per cent increase recorded from 51 AEO certified entities as of 27 October 2025. The revenue from these companies accounted for 21.77 per cent of the service’s total 2025 collection of N7.28tn.
Maiwada explained that customs duties paid by participating firms rose by 85.66 per cent, reflecting enhanced compliance and increased volumes of legitimate trade. The AEO Monitoring and Evaluation Report showed an average compliance rate of 85 per cent, with some entities achieving 100 per cent compliance.
In terms of trade facilitation, the programme reduced average cargo clearance time from 168 hours to 41 hours, representing a 75 per cent reduction. Company operating costs dropped by 57 per cent, while demurrage payments declined by 90 per cent, helping to limit capital flight and strengthen foreign exce retention.
The service commended several firms for voluntary remittance of over N1bn into the Federation Account following self initiated transaction reviews. These include PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc among others.
However, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, ordered the immediate suspension of a recently certified company over false declaration of consignments, in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and global standards.
The AEO programme is designed to certify trusted operators in the international supply chain, aligning Nigeria’s trade processes with global best practices under the World Customs Organisation SAFE Framework of Standards.
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