CG ADENIYI LECTURES STAKEHOLDERS ON POST CLEARANCE AUDIT; AS ACG OLOMU DECLARES N27.181 BILLION RECOVERY IN 8 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
Comptroller General of the Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR, today charged maritime industry operators to embrace post clearance audit ( PCA) as an instrument of compliance, even as the Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) in charge of the PCA, Babatunde Olomu has stated that more than N27.181 billion has been recovered between January and August this year.
This is against the figure of N21,278,494,169.61 recovered in same period of last year. The 2026 recovery is an increase of N5,902,543,509.16, representing a 27.7 percent growth year-on-year.
In a key note address, the Comptroller General stated that under the 2023 Act, post clearance audit gives the service a means of verifying compliance after release, noting that its purpose exceeds finding infractions or recovering revenue, but dwells more in the quality of declarations, growth of voluntary compliance and the certainty and predictability that serious businesses need in order to plan.
Noting that the customs does not regard the trading community as a body to be policed, ‘we regard you as partners in building an efficient and competitive Nigerian economy.
‘So, the message today is a simple one; compliance should not be driven by fear of enforcement. It should be driven by confidence in a system that is fair, predictable and consistently applied.
Adeniyi said businesses need clarity, you need to understand your obligations, and you are equally entitled to understand your rights’
He noted that partnership must rest on responsibility, and the responsibility runs both ways, noting that the service expects traders to keep accurate records, make truthful declarations and observe the laws governing international trade.
ACG Babatunde Olomu, PhD, fsi noted that the programme is geared towards strengthening three key objectives:
-Enhancing Stakeholder Understanding and Voluntary Compliance;
-Strengthening Revenue Assurance and Risk-Based Compliance and;
-Deepening Partnership and Institutional Cooperation.
‘Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the impact of our PCA interventions is increasingly evident in the Service’s revenue performance. Between January and August 2025, the Service recovered ₦21,278,494,169.61, while the corresponding period in 2026 recorded ₦27,181,037,678.77 – an increase of ₦5,902,543,509.16, representing approximately 27.7% growth year-on-year. This substantial improvement reflects the growing effectiveness of our PCA interventions, particularly enhanced risk-based targeting, more robust audit processes, strengthened case management and improved stakeholder compliance. Beyond the increase in recoveries, this performance demonstrates the PCA’s expanding contribution to revenue assurance, compliance management and accountability, while reinforcing the Service’s commitment to leveraging post-clearance interventions to secure government revenue and promote a more compliant trading environment.”
‘These results are significant within the broader revenue performance of the Service and underscore the growing role of PCA in identifying revenue leakages, addressing underpayments, strengthening compliance and protecting government revenue, while facilitating legitimate trade.”
“I wish to particularly acknowledge the World Bank Group for its sustained technical partnership and the profound contribution of its missions to improving PCA operations in Nigeria. These interventions have strengthened our risk-based audit approach, case management, quality assurance, standardisation and the professional capacity of our personnel.”
“We equally acknowledge the strong leadership and support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, whose commitment to NCS-PCA modernization and reform continues to provide the strategic impetus for repositioning PCA as an increasingly intelligence-driven, technology-enabled and risk-based compliance function.”
“As part of this continuing reform and capacity-building agenda, our officers will also undertake Peer-to-Peer Learning with the Kenya Revenue Authority, providing an opportunity to exchange practical experiences, benchmark international best practices and further strengthen our institutional capacity. All thanks to the CGC’s collaboration with the World Bank Group (WBG)”
“I therefore sincerely appreciate the Comptroller-General for his unwavering support, and the World Bank Group for its partnership and continued confidence in the Nigeria Customs Service.”
“To our distinguished stakeholders, I encourage you to actively participate in this engagement. The success of PCA depends not only on the efforts of the Service, but also on mutual trust, cooperation and voluntary compliance. Your perspectives, experiences and constructive engagement are essential to building a PCA framework that is both effective in protecting government revenue and supportive of legitimate business.”
“Once again, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, I warmly welcome you all and wish us a successful, productive and rewarding programme.”