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Nigeria records N177.2 billion drop in vehicle importation to VIN valuation implementation in 6 months

—- as importation of used cars dropped 
Customs brokers kick
The Eyewitness reporter

The Federal Government may have lost a whopping sum of N 1772.2 billion in revenue in the first half of the year to the implementation of the Vehicles Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy of the Nigeria Customs Service.

It could be recalled that the policy, which seeks to harmonise the tariff system on all imported second-hand vehicles into the country, was first introduced in January 2022.
The VIN valuation system was introduced for the purpose of allocating standard values to all vehicles coming into Nigeria. According to the NCS, the system automatically determines the value of import duty payable on a vehicle immediately the vehicle goes through a dedicated scanning machine.
But due to the outcry and agitation of freight forwarders over some perceived imperfections, the policy was suspended, reviewed and relaunched in May 2022.
However, the implementation of the policy has led to astronomical increases in the tariff of tokunbo vehicles as high as 200 percent.
 This has led to a sharp decrease in the importation of the item arising from the implementation of the policy by the Customs.
According to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the number of used cars imported into Nigeria dropped in the first half of 2022 by N177.2 billion
The statistics show that N72.3bn and N96.7bn worth of used vehicles were imported in the first and second quarters of 2022.

In comparison, during the same period of 2021, N174.2 billion worth of used cars were imported in Q1 and N172 billion in Q2.

Analysts claimed that the drop might not be unconnected with the introduction of the VIN policy by Customs for proper valuation of imported used vehicles.

Importers had challenged the Nigerian Customs Service over the implementation of the VIN Valuation policy.

They noted that the scheme had increased the cost of clearing vehicles at the various ports of the country.

The costs of used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo, imported into Nigeria dropped in the first half of 2022 (January to June) by N177.2 billion, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Data from NBS titled ‘Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics’, showed that N72.3 billion and N96.7 billion worth of used vehicles were imported in the first and second quarter of 2022 respectively, which amounted to N169bn.

In comparison, Nigerians spent N346.2 billion to import used vehicles during the same period of 2021, including N174.2 billion worth of used cars in Q1 and N172 billion in Q2.

Also, in the second half of 2021, N185.4 billion and N85.7 billion were spent on used vehicles in Q3 and Q4 respectively, which amounted to N271.1 billion.

The drop in the cost of used cars imported into the country might be connected with the introduction of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) early this year for proper valuation of imported used vehicles.

Customs brokers have claimed that the policy has led to a drop in the importation of second-hand vehicles with the attendant drop in revenue to the federal government.
They urged the government to abide by the auto policy and ensure that used vehicles from 2010 were allowed to pay normal duties, rather than the 2013 duties which were imposed on all imported vehicles.

The National Automotive Industry Development Plan Bill, popularly known as Auto Policy, is central to the development of the automotive industry.

 The NAIDP represents the Federal Government’s boldest step at reviving local car assembly in over three decades, according to experts.
The policy, which was introduced in 2014, seeks to encourage local manufacture of vehicles while phasing out the importation of used vehicles. The policy classifies private vehicles above 15 years as overage vehicles.
The Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Kayode Farinto, said that VIN was supposed to recognize vehicles from 2010 instead of those from 2013 upwards.
He said that the policy had made a lot of people consider bringing in vehicles through unapproved routes.

“What happens is that they started their valuation from 2013. I remember sending a letter to the CG of Customs about this particular issue.

” I told him it was wrong that the policy was for 12 years. They are supposed to start from 2010 or 2011 and up till now, they have not reversed it, which is very bad.
“The issue of the year is a very big one and that is what is discouraging the importation of used vehicles, with people bringing in these vehicles through unapproved routes like Cotonou.
” If the Comptroller General of the Customs works with the Federal Government on that and brings down the VIN valuation to 2011 or thereabout, it will be fine. The loss is big because since they started the VIN valuation, they have not reversed it.”
The National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Lucky Amiwero described the VIN valuation policy as illegal.
“VIN is not legal; it is not a procedural thing anywhere in the world”. he declared.
” Vehicle Identification Number is chassis number and it is not tied to valuation. What Customs have done is in contravention of the law.
” There is a law, Act 20 0f 2003, passed through the Nigerian Shippers Council. That is the law that is based on value. The Customs do not have any other right to put value.”, Amiwero noted.

He said that the VIN had created more problems, noting that the government needed to intervene, if not there would be more problems.

“What they have done is that they are creating a lot of problems. They call it VIN valuation, but it is wrong. It is the vehicle identification number, which is the chassis number.

” It has nothing to do with valuation. The government will lose more if the government does not intervene. I have written to the government on this issue to tell them that what they are doing is wrong.
“What they are doing is illegal. Customs don’t have the right to implement VIN without passing through the National Assembly. It is not legal, it has no legal bearing, and the sooner the government goes back to what they were doing the better.
“Customs introduced that thing and it has created a lot of revenue setbacks for the government. The government should look at it seriously and reduce it and cancel the VIN. It is illegal and should be canceled.”, Amiwero declared.

Meanwhile, a member of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Nnadi Ugochukwu, accused the government of punishing people unnecessarily with the policy.

He said that the government was forcing people to pay for vehicles of nine years old and above instead of the 15 years the law stipulated.

According to him, “The government policy is 15 years, so, it is supposed to start from 2008 for private vehicles.

“So, the government is punishing people unnecessarily, breaking the laws that they made. Is it not the government that said the policy is 15 years now? When you come, they won’t allow you to pay for the 15 years but will make you pay as if the vehicle is nine years old.”

But the Federal Government, through the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, stated that the VIN which is under the National Vehicle Registry (VREG) was to increase revenue and curb smuggling and other criminal activities.

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Customs

Customs PR officers dominate NCCSC graduation, clinch overall best honours

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Public Relations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a rare academic feat as two of its officers emerged the top graduating students at the Nigeria Customs Service Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada.

At the graduation ceremony for Senior Course 14 held on Friday,June 26th, 2026,  Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Ridwan Yusuf was named the Overall Best Graduating Student, capping an outstanding performance by winning three additional awards.

His colleague, CSC Nuruddeen Sa’idu, was named the Second Best Graduating Student, completing a remarkable sweep by officers from the Service’s Public Relations Unit.

The double honour highlights the intellectual depth, leadership capacity and professionalism within the Customs Public Relations Unit, demonstrating that its officers excel not only in strategic communication but also in administration, operational management and policy leadership.

Beyond the accolades, the achievement is expected to open another chapter in their careers, as both officers may be retained by the College as Directing Staff, in keeping with the institution’s tradition of engaging its highest-performing graduates to mentor future participants.

If confirmed, the appointments would recognise their exceptional academic and professional abilities while entrusting them with the responsibility of shaping the next generation of Customs leaders, although their absence would be keenly felt within the Public Relations Unit.

The Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Unit congratulated both officers on their outstanding accomplishments and wished them continued success as they assume greater responsibilities in service to the nation.

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Customs

Retirement gale sweeps through Customs as Olomu,Bomodi,Oladeji,Adeola,Adebakin, Niagwan among 1,516 officers set to exit service

Funso OLOJO, Editor

A massive retirement wave is set to rip through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with no fewer than 1,516 officers — including several top-ranking officers — pencilled down to leave the Service in 2026 and 2027 in what appears to be one of the largest personnel exits in the agency’s recent history.

The impending retirement storm, which cuts across virtually all cadres of the Service, will see officers from the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General down to Customs Assistant II bow out under statutory retirement provisions, leaving a major vacuum in the upper and middle ranks of the paramilitary agency.

Documents obtained by TheEyewitnessnews show that 825 officers are scheduled to retire in 2026, while another 691 are expected to leave in 2027, bringing the total number of exits within the two-year period to 1,516.

The retirement notices are contained in two restricted circulars issued by the Human Resources and Development Department of the Service and signed by the Comptroller, Establishment, A.A. Bazuaye, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.
The first circular, No. HRD/2025/048 dated September 19, 2025, contains what the Service described as the final list of 825 officers billed to retire in 2026.

A breakdown of the 2026 list shows that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre accounts for the highest number of exits with 285 officers, followed by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226 officers.

Other cadres affected in the 2026 retirement exercise are Assistant Superintendent of Customs I with 64 officers; Chief Customs Officer, 53; Deputy Customs Officer, 51; Assistant Customs Officer, 46; Chief Superintendent of Customs, 61; Inspector of Customs, eight; Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, 10; Customs Assistant I, one; Customs Assistant II, two; Assistant Comptroller-General, 13; and Deputy Comptroller-General, five.

A second circular, No. HRD/2026/020 dated May 26, 2026, forwarded a draft list of 691 officers due for statutory retirement in 2027.

The 2027 retirement schedule shows that the Superintendent of Customs cadre will record the highest number of exits with 200 officers, followed by the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre with 193 officers.

Others on the 2027 list are Deputy Customs Officer, 81; Chief Superintendent of Customs, 68; Assistant Customs Officer, 57; Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, 39; Chief Customs Officer, 38; Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, four; Customs Assistant I, four; Customs Assistant II, four; Inspector of Customs, two; and Assistant Comptroller-General, four.

Both circulars directed all affected officers to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave in line with Public Service Rule 100238 and Federal Government Circular No. 63216/S.1/X/T; CR 1/2001/5 of March 20, 2001.

The directive stated that all officers due for retirement must disengage from active service and proceed on three months’ pre-retirement leave ahead of their effective retirement dates, while also forwarding their three-month pre-retirement notices to the Comptroller-General of Customs.

Among the senior officers affected in the 2026 retirement exercise are Deputy Comptrollers-General Omale (SVC No. 41148), who retired on June 7, 2026; Nnadi (SVC No. 43193), whose retirement took effect on March 3, 2026; Chiroma (SVC No. 42988), who is due to retire on September 23, 2026; and Adeola MRS (SVC No. 42972) and Niagwan (SVC No. 41524), both scheduled to retire on December 23, 2026.

Among the Assistant Comptrollers-General on the 2026 retirement list are Egwuh (SVC No. 38991), who retired on March 14, 2026; Umoh (SVC No. 41351), who exited the Service on February 2, 2026; Mohammed (SVC Nos. 41394 and 41395), both due to retire on June 24, 2026; and Abe (SVC No. 41110), whose retirement date is August 21, 2026.

Others listed for retirement include Olomu (SVC No. 41145), Olaniyan (SVC No. 41197), Yusuf (SVC No. 41257), Oladeji (SVC No. 41308) and Gaji (SVC No. 41328), all scheduled to retire on September 24, 2026.
Also on the list are Adebakin (SVC No. 41670) and Bomodi (SVC No. 42758), both due for retirement on September 23, 2026, as well as Nyam (SVC No. 40428) and Abubakar (SVC No. 40139), whose retirement dates are October 1, 2026, among others.

In the 2027 circular, the Service opened a window for complaints and corrections, directing that any observed error, omission or legitimate complaint arising from the attached retirement list should be forwarded to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General, Human Resources and Development, on or before July 31, 2026.

To ensure the notices get to all affected officers, Zonal Coordinators, Area Controllers and Unit Heads were directed to circulate the retirement lists across commands and formations.

But beyond the raw figures, the sweeping retirement exercise has exposed a deeper structural imbalance in the Service.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, traced the development to a prolonged recruitment gap and years of promotion stagnation in the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to him, a 16-year period of non-recruitment created an unusual personnel bulge, as officers within the 41000, 42000 and 43000 service number brackets rose through the ranks almost at the same pace and now find themselves hitting retirement age or service limits within the same window.

The result, he explained, is a top-heavy structure in which a large number of officers now occupy similar seniority levels and are due to leave almost simultaneously.
Abejide said the retirement of more than 1,500 officers should not be misconstrued as part of any succession plot within the Customs hierarchy, insisting that the exercise is a routine and legally mandated process under Public Service Rule 100238.

The development is coming against the backdrop of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a final six-month tenure extension for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, effectively keeping him in office until February 2027.
The Presidency announced on Friday that Adeniyi’s tenure, earlier scheduled to expire on August 1, 2026, had been extended by another six months to enable him complete key reforms in the Service.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the extension would allow the Customs boss to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window project and also ensure an orderly succession process in the Service.

More significantly, the statement made it clear that Adeniyi would work with the Nigeria Customs Service Board during the transition period to oversee critical personnel decisions, including the promotion of eligible officers to the rank of Comptroller and the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained 60 years of age or put in 35 years in service.

That presidential directive effectively places Adeniyi at the centre of one of the most consequential personnel transitions in the recent history of the Nigeria Customs Service — a transition that will shape not only the next generation of Customs leadership, but also the internal balance of power within the Service.

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Customs

Excitement as President Tinubu Extends CGC Adeniyi’s Tenure by Six Months

Funso OLOJO, Editor

A wave of excitement swept through the maritime industry following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a six-month extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi.

In a statement issued on June 19th, 2026, and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu said the extension was necessary to enable Adeniyi to consolidate ongoing reforms, particularly the implementation of the National Single Window project, while also ensuring an orderly succession process within the service.

According to the Presidency, Adeniyi’s current tenure was due to expire on August 1st, 2026.

The six-month extension will now keep him in office until February 2027.

During the transition period, Adeniyi is expected to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to oversee the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and facilitate the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained the statutory retirement age of 60 years or completed 35 years in service.

Adeniyi joined the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s.

He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming a Deputy Comptroller in 2012, Comptroller in 2017, Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020, and Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023 before being appointed Comptroller-General by President Tinubu in June 2023.

Maritime stakeholders who welcomed the development described the extension as an opportunity for the Customs boss to complete the far-reaching reforms he initiated within the service.

One freight forwarder, who preferred anonymity, described the decision as a positive development.

“This is a welcome development because it will enable the Comptroller-General to complete the reforms he has started in the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

“His tenure has been a watershed in the history of the NCS.

“The service has witnessed unprecedented transformation in its operations, revenue generation, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling activities.

“Granting him an extension is a well-thought-out administrative decision by President Tinubu to allow him to complete these achievements.”

Another stakeholder said the extension reflects the confidence of the Presidency in Adeniyi’s leadership.

“The tenure extension is a clear endorsement of Adeniyi’s transformative leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service and the progress recorded under his administration,” the stakeholder remarked.

Industry observers believe the extension will provide continuity for ongoing modernization initiatives and help sustain the momentum of reforms aimed at enhancing trade facilitation, revenue collection, and border security.

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