- Pleads With NASS To Allow Customs Service Act 2023 To Stay
The Comptroller General Of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has raised an alarm that Section 1 of the proposed Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) Establishment Bill 2024, could override the Nigeria Customs Act of 2023.
In his words, this could effectively and completely legislate Nigeria Customs Service out of existence.
He therefore appealed to the National Assembly to allow the Nigerian Customs Service Act 2023 which is barely two years old to remain rather than abolish it given the effort and resources that have gone into its enactment.
The CG presented this position on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, while speaking at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Finance.
Adeniyi highlighted key objections contained in a 17-page memorandum submitted by the customs.
According to the NCS boss, Sections 23, 29 and 41(a) of the Joint Revenue Board Bill present jurisdictional conflicts.
He also cited Section 1 of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) Establishment Bill 2024, which he argued could override the Nigeria Customs Act of 2023.
“In the Nigeria Revenue Service Established Bill, Section 1 seeks to completely legislate Nigeria Customs Service out of existence, if you pardon my words.”
“Also in Section 4, this is also another omnibus provision. This particular provision gives the proposed NRS oversight functions over all taxes and levies.
“We are worried that this new law is seeking to override all previous laws that were done to address issues regarding the economy”.
Adeniyi called for collaboration and operational integration between the customs and tax authorities, rather than the abolition of the agency or the repeal of an existing law to introduce a new one.
“The principal recommendation we made was that we should encourage collaboration, integration of operations between customs and the tax authority, not to abolish customs, or not to repeal the law, because we want to do another law.
“Our prayer is simple. A lot of effort and resources have gone into the enactment of the Nigerian Customs Service Act 2023, less than two years ago. We plead with the Assembly to let the law stay”, he urged.
