The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has charged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to avoid complacency despite the progress being made by the Service.
Oyedele gave the charge during his visit to the NCS headquarters in Abuja, where he chaired the Board meeting of the Service for the first time since assuming office as Finance Minister.
Speaking, the Minister the improvements recorded by the Service were commendable, but should not become a reason for complacency.
“I commended the leadership and staff for notable progress on revenue generation and trade facilitation,” Oyedele said.
He, however, stressed that the results achieved so far should serve as motivation for Customs to do more and improve its contribution to the Nigerian economy.
“But progress should not lead to complacency. Results are precisely what should propel us to do more,” he stated.
Oyedele urged the Customs Service to establish clear and measurable benchmarks that would place Nigeria on a stronger footing within the region and the global trading community.
He said the country must be able to demonstrate leadership through actual performance rather than statements or rhetoric.
“Nigeria must lead through performance, not rhetoric,” the minister said.
Among the areas he identified for urgent attention are port efficiency, transparency, cargo clearance and revenue collection. He called for measures that would eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks at the ports and make the movement of goods more efficient.
Oyedele also demanded end-to-end transparency across Customs operations, stressing the need for processes that can be easily monitored and understood by stakeholders involved in international trade.
He further called for faster cargo clearance timelines, noting that delays at the ports can affect businesses, increase costs and weaken Nigeria’s competitiveness as a destination for trade and investment.
On revenue collection, the minister said integrity must remain a key principle, calling for an “uncompromising” approach to ensuring that government revenue is properly collected and accounted for.
The Federal Government, he assured, would continue to provide the Nigeria Customs Service with the technology, tools and policy support required to improve its operations.
Oyedele also encouraged Customs officers to view their responsibilities beyond traditional border administration.
He urged them to see themselves as important participants in the country’s economic development and in efforts to position Nigeria as a competitive player in global trade.
“I urged every officer to see themselves not just as border administrators, but as frontline drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth and global competitiveness,” he said.
The Minister’s charge comes as the government continues to push for improved efficiency across revenue-generating agencies and greater use of technology in public-sector operations.
He said the ultimate goal should be to build a Customs Service capable of meeting international standards while supporting businesses, improving trade and increasing government revenue.
Oyedele maintained that achieving these goals would require sustained commitment from both the leadership and officers of the Service, with performance measured by clear and verifiable outcomes.