......The Customs Service says integrity surveys, modernisation and engagement with anti-corruption agencies are helping to reduce corruption risks, but it has not published results showing the scale of the improvement.
Nigeria Customs Service says reforms aimed at improving integrity and accountability are helping to reduce corruption risks within the agency, although publicly available evidence does not yet show how much corruption has declined.
The Service's National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, made the claim on Thursday at the 4th Economic Confidential Lecture and 6th National Spokespersons Awards in Abuja.
The event, organised by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, focused on anti-corruption reforms, economic stability and communication.
Maiwada said the Customs Service had used integrity perception surveys and other reforms to identify weaknesses and improve its operations.
“The World Customs Organisation is very intentional about the integrity of Customs officers worldwide.
Nigeria Customs has conducted integrity perception surveys involving both internal and external stakeholders, and the feedback from those exercises has continued to shape our reforms, our modernisation projects and even our collaboration with other government agencies.
Recently, the Code of Conduct Bureau visited the Service as part of efforts to strengthen ethical conduct among our officers.”
What is changing at Customs?
The Customs Service has increasingly linked its anti-corruption efforts to wider reforms aimed at modernising cargo clearance, improving revenue collection and reducing opportunities for officials to interfere with transactions.
In April, the Service launched a reform agenda with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council.
The plan included joint inspections, risk-based cargo clearance, improved scanning infrastructure, service timelines and stronger cooperation between government agencies.
The Service has also been working with the World Customs Organisation's Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion programme.
A March 2026 meeting between the WCO and the Customs leadership focused on integrity capacity building, integrity-focused procedures and a planned integrity risk assessment.
These measures matter because Customs sits at a critical point in Nigeria's economy.
Its officers control or influence processes affecting imported goods, border enforcement and government revenue.Weak controls can create opportunities for bribery, delays, under-declaration of goods and revenue leakages.
Stronger controls could make the system more predictable for businesses and improve public revenue.
The World Customs Organisation says its Customs Integrity Perception Survey measures how Customs officers and private-sector stakeholders perceive integrity.
A change in perception can indicate that reforms are working, but it cannot by itself establish that bribery, misconduct or revenue losses have fallen.
The WCO says the survey is designed to track perceptions over time and help Customs administrations target anti-corruption measures.
The strongest evidence of progress would therefore include published survey results, disciplinary records, corruption investigations, complaints data, audit findings and measurable reductions in revenue leakages.
The reforms are part of a wider anti-corruption policy
The development comes as Nigeria implements its National Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2022-2026.
The Federal Government says the strategy aims to reduce corruption and strengthen the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions.
It has identified corruption as a threat to public trust, efficient service delivery and national development.
For Customs, the challenge is particularly significant because integrity reforms must work alongside the agency's other responsibilities, including revenue collection, trade facilitation and border security.
The Service's current policy direction places emphasis on consolidation, collaboration and innovation, including technology and data analytics.
The use of digital systems could reduce face-to-face interactions between traders and officials, potentially limiting some opportunities for informal payments.
But technology alone cannot eliminate corruption.
Internal controls, enforcement, whistleblower protection, transparent disciplinary processes and independent oversight remain important.
Revenue gains have also been linked to reforms
Customs has previously attributed improved revenue collection to reforms and stronger enforcement.
The Presidency reported that Customs collected ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, compared with ₦600 billion in the same period in 2023.
The Customs leadership attributed the increase to technology, improved port operations, enforcement against revenue leakages and greater accountability.
Higher revenue, however, should not automatically be treated as proof of lower corruption.
Revenue can rise for several reasons, including changes in exchange rates, import values, enforcement activity and collection efficiency.
The more useful test will be whether Customs can demonstrate that its reforms have produced sustained improvements in both revenue performance and integrity.
Anti-corruption agencies increase scrutiny
Maiwada also pointed to the recent visit by the Code of Conduct Bureau as part of efforts to strengthen ethical conduct among Customs officers.
Earlier at the Abuja event, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Musa Adamu Aliyu, described corruption as a global problem that distorts economies, increases inequality and threatens national security.
His comments put the Customs reforms within a wider debate about how public institutions can prevent corruption rather than simply investigate it after it occurs.
For traders and importers, the practical question is whether these reforms will lead to fewer delays, more predictable charges and clearer procedures.
For the government, the stakes include protecting customs revenue and public confidence.
For Customs officers, stronger integrity systems could improve professional standards but could also increase scrutiny and disciplinary expectations.
Young Customs officer wins communication award
The Abuja event also recognised Assistant Superintendent of Customs I Folusho Adeogun, a liaison officer with the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network.
Adeogun received the Young Communicator of the Year award at the 6th National Spokespersons Awards.
He dedicated the award to the Customs Service and said: “This award will encourage me to contribute even more to the Service and ensure that I continue to play my role effectively. It has energised me to do more.”
Maiwada welcomed the recognition, saying: “I am particularly delighted to see one of our young officers receive this recognition. No amount of mentorship can produce results unless the individual is willing to learn and improve himself.
Adeogun has demonstrated commitment, professionalism and hard work.”The jury chairperson, Professor Saudat Abdulbaqi, said the awards had developed into a platform for promoting professionalism, communication and public trust.
The award is separate from the evidence needed to assess whether Customs' integrity reforms are succeeding.
What happens next?
The next test for the Customs Service will be measurable results.
Publishing the findings of integrity assessments, explaining how complaints are handled and showing changes in disciplinary and revenue-leakage data would give the public a clearer basis for judging the reforms.
The WCO itself encourages repeated integrity perception surveys because comparisons over time can help administrations assess whether their interventions are producing improvements.
For now, Customs has demonstrated that integrity remains part of its reform agenda.
Whether the measures are actually reducing corruption will require evidence beyond institutional assurances.
