The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has charged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to set world-class benchmarks and boost economic competitiveness, while commending the Service’s leadership and officers for notable progress in revenue generation and trade facilitation.
Oyedele gave the charge when he visited the NCS headquarters in Abuja to chair the Board meeting.
Disclosing details of the engagement on X (formerly Twitter), Oyedele noted that it was his first since assuming office as Finance Minister.
“Before the meeting, I toured the facility to see recent investments in technology and intelligence. I commended the leadership and staff for notable progress on revenue generation and trade facilitation,” he wrote.
He, however, stated that progress should not lead to complacency, stressing that results are precisely what should propel the Service to do more.
The Minister urged the Service to set world-class benchmarks, backed by measurable outcomes that strengthen Nigeria’s regional and global competitiveness.
Oyedele pointed out that Nigeria must lead through performance, not rhetoric, including by ensuring port efficiency that eliminates bottlenecks and end-to-end transparency across all operations.
He also highlighted the need for accelerated cargo clearance timelines and uncompromising integrity in revenue collection.
Oyedele reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping Customs with the technology, tools, and policy support needed to do more.
He further encouraged every officer to see themselves not just as border administrators, but as frontline drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth and global competitiveness.
