Customs pledges support for Nigeria’s $1tn economy target

By Adebola Muili

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged the Nigeria Customs Service’s support for Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy, stressing the need for concrete action and measurable results from institutions and citizens.

Adeniyi made the commitment on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, while delivering a keynote address at the New Nigeria Festival held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Conference Hall, Abuja.

He said the $1 trillion economic target was achievable if the strategies developed to realise it were effectively implemented, urging stakeholders to move beyond plans and discussions to practical action.

The CGC said the Customs Service had already begun translating its role in the national economic agenda into practical measures through its ongoing Modernisation Reforms.

He identified the deployment of B’Odogwu, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and the Advance Ruling mechanism as initiatives aimed at facilitating legitimate trade, improving predictability in the trading environment and strengthening revenue generation.

“Execution is nothing if it is not concrete. We have to move from ideas to action and ensure that whatever we plan translates into results,” Adeniyi said.

According to him, the responsibility for achieving the $1 trillion economy could not be left to government agencies alone, as businesses, institutions and citizens also had important roles to play.

Adeniyi noted that the Customs Service was strategically positioned to contribute to the country’s economic transformation through its responsibilities for revenue collection, trade facilitation and border management.

He called for greater ownership of the country’s economic aspirations, urging institutions and citizens to translate their respective responsibilities into practical and measurable actions.

The CGC stressed that the realisation of the $1 trillion economic ambition would depend on sustained implementation of policies and strategies capable of producing tangible results.