The Senate has approved the 2026 budget proposal of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), endorsing a revenue target of ₦11.074 trillion and total expenditure of ₦1.295 trillion.
The approval followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs, chaired by Senator Isah Jibrin.
Presenting the report on Wednesday, Jibrin said the committee reviewed the service’s 2025 budget performance before considering the 2026 estimates.
He disclosed that the NCS exceeded its 2025 revenue target of ₦6.5 trillion, generating about ₦7.2 trillion, representing a performance of 110.53 per cent.
He said the agency’s performance would have been stronger but for the suspension of telecoms excise duty, healthcare production incentives and global trade disruptions arising from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Jibrin said that although the service had an approved budget of about ₦1.132 trillion in 2025, it spent ₦591 billion.
The lawmaker attributed the shortfall in capital expenditure to delays in approvals by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which caused several projects to be rolled over to the 2026 fiscal year.
He explained that the proposed ₦11.074 trillion revenue target for 2026 would be driven by expanded technology deployment, improved revenue recovery mechanisms and real-time audit systems.
The proposed ₦1.295 trillion expenditure comprises ₦421 billion for personnel costs, ₦307 billion for overheads and ₦565 billion for capital projects, to be funded mainly through the statutory four per cent Free on Board (FOB) levy under the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
The committee recommended approval of both the proposed revenue target and expenditure estimates.
Contributing to the debate, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and the agency’s workforce for surpassing their 2025 revenue target, describing the projected ₦11.074 trillion target for 2026 as a reflection of confidence in the reforms introduced by the service.
The Senate subsequently approved the revenue target and expenditure estimates through a voice vote conducted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who also commended the committee and the leadership of the Customs Service for their performance.