Legislature
A New Law in the offing bans appointment Of Customs CG from outside service
A new Bill at the House of representatives when assented to by the President is set to restrict the appointment of the Comptroller General of Customs within the Service, and make appointment of same from outside the Service illegal.
This is coming against the backdrop that the current Comptroller General came in from outside the service a situation many believe will discourage the struggle for excellence among the heirachy of the service.
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday considered and approved the report of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, on a Bill seeking the repeal of the Customs and Excise Management Act, enacted 63 years ago.
While presenting the synopsis of the report before the Committee of the Whole, the sponsor of the Bill, and chairman House Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide, took lawmakers through the existing shortcomings militating against effective performance of the Service.
According to him,”The passage of this Bill is a step in the right direction, especially in view of the fact that the Bill is the fàirst major reform in the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) Legal Framework in 63 years.
The old Act has become obsolete in
today’s competitive global world and also, in effective operations of the
NCS.
“A review of the Act seeks to reposition the NCS for improved efficiency and service delivery. Full automation of the NCS with modern reality will facilitate trade, improve revenue generation and more importantly expose illegal importation of arms and ammunition into the country. All these would be made possible when this Bill becomes an Act” .
Hon Abejide pointed out notable legislative initiatives in the Bill saying it will enable the “collation of all Customs and Excise legislations into a single compendium of Customs & Excise Act to facilitate easy reference and easy knowledge driven Customs and Excise policies.”
According to him, “This Bill when it becomes an Act will position Nigeria Customs Service to be financially stable and this will enable NCS to recruit the required number of Officers they need to man our porous border stations. The Nigeria Customs Service currently have 15,349 Officers instead of 30,000 Officers needed for the Service to function optimally.
“The current 7% cost of collection from the Duties payment is not enough to pay salaries of officers, not to talk of improving the infrastructures. For this reason, this Bill provides for funding system based on 4% FOB, according to international best practice, to address funding problems and to reposition the service for improved efficiency and service delivery, as such 7% cost of collection shall cease to exist the moment this Bill becomes Law.
“Making the Act more readable to the understanding of the principal
stakeholders thereby deviating from hitherto strict legal drafting of the
aged.
“Providing stiffer punishments for offenders to act as deterrence for
serious economic crimes of Customs and Excise oriented thereby
encouraging more revenue in the area of payment of fines.
“Provision of Legislative input into the appointment of Comptroller General of Customs similar to other organisations like Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Service
Chiefs. This is based on the economic importance and security implications the occupier connotes to the national economic and security development.
“Provision of Arbitration Panel for the purpose of dispute resolution to
reduce multiplicity of cases at the court of law relating to customs issues. A situation whereby dispute arose between the Nigeria Customs Service and a Stakeholder and is same NCS that will set up panel mainly comprising of Customs Officers to judge then justice is
far from being served
“Rejigging the Board of Customs and Excise Management with competent and result oriented technocrats for smooth and fast operation of its functions, putting round pegs in round holes.
“Provisions in line with international best practice with realistic deviation from the 1958 Act that has become obsolete in injecting combative approach to revenue and trade facilitation.
“Boosting the morale of Customs Officers with incentives introduced
to carry them along in the scheme of things from the Comptroller General down to the last employee of the Service in line with revenue generation institutions and service delivery mechanisms.
“Introduction of new Excise collectable revenue avenues in line with the recently enacted Finance Act 2021 for the smooth operation. The collection of Excise Duties on all carbonated drinks now captured in this Bill for the Nigeria Customs Service to have adequate legal
backing to function in this area”.
He added that “the aforesaid
developments injected into this Bill is sufficient to implode economic
development, facilitation of trade and greater revenue generation in tandem
with the goal and target given to the Nigeria Customs Service in view of
fiscal independence and autonomy our economy is yearning for.”
“The most innovative inclusion into this Bill is the objectives of eradicating
problems of corruption, fraud and malpractices together with inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in operation of the Service, which have hindered the
desire to contribute maximally to the economic development of the nation.
“Finally, this Bill is in tune with ICT development which is going to give the
Service the ICT demand it requires for its operations in line with international best practice. This would ensure a model that can think a thousand times faster and more efficiently than humans do,” he argued.
In agreement with the sponsor’s argument, the House upon reverting to plenary read the Bill for the third time and approved same as passed.
***Allocates N23.96 Trillion for Capital Projects, N14.31 Trillion for Debt Servicing
The Nigerian Senate along with the House of Represebtatives have passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill, approving a record-breaking budget of N54,990,165,355,396 to finance government activities in the coming fiscal year.
The budget, titled A Bill for an Act to Authorise the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, was approved after deliberations on its allocations and implications for economic growth, debt management, and infrastructure development.
The chairman of the National Assemble Godswill Akpabio who is also the President of the Senate gave the beakdown of the 2025 Budget to show that Statutory Transfers: ₦3.65 trillion, debt Servicing: ₦14.32 trillion, Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure: ₦13.06 trillion and
Capital Expenditure: ₦23.96 trillion
The largest chunk of the budget, ₦23.96 trillion, was allocated for capital expenditure, aimed at infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and security.
This signals the government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.
However, the ₦14.32 trillion earmarked for debt servicing highlights the country’s rising debt burden, sparking concerns over long-term financial sustainability.
With the National Assembly approval, the budget now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent, after which implementation will begin. Analysts predict a challenging fiscal year, balancing economic growth with prudent spending and debt repayment.
However, time will tell whether the historic budget will deliver on its promises, or economic realities force adjustments down the line?
***Says addittional fund is to Prioritize Infrastructure, Health, Economic Growth
The chairman of the senate committee on Appropriation Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan has explained the approval of the 2025 Appropriation Bill by the national Assembly which it increased from N49.7 trillion to N54.99 trillion—the highest in the nation’s history.
The adjustment followed legislative reviews that uncovered additional revenues from key government agencies.
While explaining the Budget Expansion and Revenue Sources Olamilekan indicated that the additional N4.99 trillion was sourced from Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs)
These he said led to an increase in funding for critical sectors, including N1.5 trillion for Bank of Agriculture, N500 billion for Bank of Industry, 1 trillion for Ministry of Solid Minerals, N1.5 trillion for Renewable Infrastructure Fund, N300 billion – Road construction and N400 billion for Rail transport.
Others are N380 billion of Water resources, irrigation, and dam projects, N250 billion for Military barracks renovation N120 billion for New military aviation projects, N50 billion for Border security agencies
Following the suspension of U.S. health aid, which previously provided funding for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio treatments, President Tinubu approved $200 million (N300 billion) to ensure continued medical supplies and healthcare support for affected patients.
On the major Boost for Infrastructure Development he said a record N23.7 trillion has been allocated for capital projects, marking a significant leap in infrastructure investment.
He listed the areas the funds will focus on to include Roads and railways,nEducation and healthcare improvements and Other critical public infrastructure
To prevent delays in budget implementation, the 2026 budget process will begin in July 2025, with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted early and the Appropriation Bill expected by October 2025.
Concerns over inadequate rail infrastructure funding in the South East were raised, but legislative leaders clarified that rail projects are primarily funded through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
According to him, the 2025 budget focuses on light rail development in Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, and Kano, while further discussions on South East projects are ongoing.
He explained that to maintain Economic Stability the budget parameters remain unchanged, with key revenue sources including FIRS increasing its revenue target to N25.1 trillion, Nigeria Customs Service boosting revenue collection through stricter enforcement and Independent revenue agencies contributing 100% of their generated funds to the federal government
The House of Representatives has directed its Joint Committee on Communications and Interior to investigate reports of unauthorized National Identification Number (NIN) linkages by telecom service providers across Nigeria.
The decision followed the unanimous adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by Hon. Patrick Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). The House also instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to probe the allegations and sanction any telecom operator found guilty of violating privacy laws.
Additionally, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been asked to clarify whether telecom providers were authorized to link NINs to subscriber lines and if such actions comply with existing regulations.
Hon. Umoh raised concerns about recent reports indicating that telecom companies have linked NINs to subscribers’ SIM cards without their consent. He warned that this unauthorized linkage exposes Nigerians to criminal activities, such as identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes.
“This action is a clear violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, which guarantee the right to privacy and the protection of personal data,” Umoh stated.
He further emphasized that while the NIN system was introduced to enhance national security and streamline identification processes, unauthorized linkages undermine public trust and jeopardize citizens’ safety.
“Aware that innocent citizens have been wrongly implicated in crimes, suffered reputational damage, harassment, and legal challenges for offenses they know nothing about, it is imperative that we address this issue immediately,” Umoh added.
The House has mandated the probe committee to submit its findings within four weeks, as lawmakers seek to protect Nigerians from potential data breaches and uphold the integrity of national security protocols.
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