The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has generated N19.84bn in revenue between January and July 2026, exceeding the N15.94bn collected throughout the whole of 2025.
The command's Comptroller, Abdullahi Kaila, disclosed this while presenting the command's recent enforcement activities, noting that the revenue performance represented an increase of N3.89bn, or 24.45 per cent, over its 2025 full-year collection.
Kaila attributed the improved performance to increased compliance by traders, enhanced engagement with stakeholders and strengthened operational efficiency at the land border.
He said the revenue growth demonstrated that trade facilitation and enforcement could be pursued simultaneously, as the command continued to support legitimate cross-border commerce while tightening controls against smuggling.
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The Seme Command also intercepted a range of contraband goods with a combined duty-paid value of N365.1m.
Among the seizures were 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, allegedly smuggled into Nigeria through illegal routes.
The Customs boss said the illegal rice imports not only deprived the government of potential revenue but also undermined efforts to promote domestic rice production and protect the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.
"The command also intercepted expired and unregistered pharmaceutical and other regulated products, some of which had reportedly deteriorated and were visibly decomposing" he said.
According to Kaila, intelligence gathered by the command indicated that some of the expired products were allegedly intended to be repackaged and relabelled for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
He described the interception as a public health intervention, warning that the consumption of the products could expose consumers to food poisoning, gastrointestinal diseases and other health complications.
Kaila said the seized illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further investigation and appropriate action.
The development highlights the dual economic role of the Seme border, which serves as a major gateway for legitimate trade within the West African sub-region while also remaining a target for smuggling activities.
Kaila said the command would sustain its enforcement operations while facilitating legitimate trade and supporting Nigeria's participation in regional commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
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He warned smugglers that intensified surveillance and enforcement had made the Seme corridor increasingly difficult to exploit for illicit trade.
The Seme Customs boss assured legitimate traders that the command would continue to support the Federal Government's economic reforms by improving border processes, encouraging compliance and creating an environment conducive to lawful cross-border trade.
