Reps Demand Breakdown of ₦34 Trillion Customs Duty Waivers, Query Revenue Reporting

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to provide a detailed breakdown of the approximately ₦34 trillion worth of import duty waivers granted in 2025.

The committee also requested details of the beneficiaries, the legal basis for the approvals and the economic objectives of the waivers.

The directive was issued during the committee's oversight meeting with the management of the Nigeria Customs Service as part of the National Assembly's review of revenue generating agencies and the implementation of the 2025 budget.

Chairman of the committee, James Faleke, said lawmakers were not opposed to the Federal Government's policy of granting import duty waivers but insisted that the process must be transparent and subject to legislative scrutiny.

According to him, the committee wants to determine whether the waivers achieved their intended economic objectives and whether due process was followed.

"Waiver is good. It is not a bad thing to grant a waiver. But we want to know those who benefited from the waiver and the purpose of such a waiver. It is okay if you grant a waiver on medical and agricultural products.

If you grant a waiver, it is aimed at helping the economy to grow. For example, if you grant a waiver on agricultural products, it is aimed at reducing the cost of food. So, we are not against the waiver. But we want to know the beneficiaries of this ₦34tn waiver," Faleke said.

The committee also questioned the Nigeria Customs Service over what it described as inconsistencies in its revenue reporting despite the agency consistently exceeding its annual revenue targets.

Faleke acknowledged the service's revenue performance but said the financial records submitted to the committee did not adequately explain the source of revenue collected above approved projections.

"We are not going to applaud your efforts now because your account books are not balanced. We know that you want to be transparent, but you have not told us how the excess money you are reporting came about.

" I can see that in some months, you under declare your revenue collection and in other months, you overshoot the collection. We want to know what is responsible for this. You have to provide these little details that will help us properly assess your performance," he said.

Deputy Chairman of the committee, Saidu Abdullahi, urged the Federal Government to review upward the revenue targets assigned to the Nigeria Customs Service, noting that the agency had consistently surpassed its collection targets.

"In 2024, you were given a target of ₦5tn, and you generated ₦6.1tn. In 2025, you were given a target of about ₦6tn and you generated ₦7.2tn. I believe that if we push you enough, you can do better," Abdullahi said.

Responding on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola, clarified that the Nigeria Customs Service does not approve import duty waivers.

She explained that the Federal Ministry of Finance approves the waivers in line with existing laws and government policies, while the Customs Service is responsible only for implementing the approvals.

Adeola also encouraged state governments to invest in inland dry ports to decongest seaports and improve cargo clearance.

She added that most cargo scanners at the nation's ports were operational, with only a few currently undergoing repairs.

A member of the committee, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, called for greater accountability within the Nigeria Customs Service, urging the agency to sanction officers whose negligence contributes to equipment failure or delays in cargo clearance.

The committee also scrutinised the operations of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), directing it to submit comprehensive records of all registered companies and businesses in Nigeria, including details of registration fees paid

Lawmakers further faulted the commission for failing to submit its audited financial statements to the Fiscal Responsibility Commission since 2019 and directed it to reconcile its accounts immediately.

A representative of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission informed the committee that the Corporate Affairs Commission owed the Federal Government ₦13.9 billion in unremitted operating surplus.

Responding, the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, said reconciliation with the Fiscal Responsibility Commission was ongoing and that both agencies had agreed on a repayment plan through quarterly payments of ₦500 million.