Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, has declared that the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu has effectively put an end to smuggling activities across the country, as the policy primarily benefited only a small number of Nigerians.
Ribadu made this statement on Wednesday during the ongoing Comptroller General of Customs (CGCs) conference in Abuja, noting that Nigeria was inadvertently subsidizing fuel for neighboring countries due to rampant smuggling in border communities.
“As someone from a border community, I receive daily reports about how Customs are making life difficult for smugglers. Interestingly, some military personnel were also involved in facilitating this smuggling, but that is now a thing of the past. Those generals and security forces who enabled fuel smugglers have been replaced by a new team,” he said.
He further explained that the subsidy, which has significantly impacted the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), primarily benefited neighboring countries rather than Nigerians. “We were subsidizing Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Ghana, and the savvy Nigerians who called themselves oil marketers,” Ribadu added.
The NSA also pointed out that the large number of oil marketers in Nigeria was a direct result of the subsidy regime. “Nigeria is the only country in the world where everyone is an oil marketer because of subsidies. You can count about 100 filling stations from Abuja to Kaduna alone. However, that welfare is over, and the business of smuggling fuel across the border has come to an end,” he stated.
He highlighted the success of recent Customs initiatives, particularly Operation Whirlwind, in curbing smuggling activities.
In his remarks, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, announced that the service has achieved its 2024 revenue generation target of N5.07 trillion. As of November 12, 2024, the service has collected N5.07 trillion, with expectations to exceed the target by 10 percent by year-end.
“I am pleased to announce that yesterday, November 12, 2024, at exactly 13:10 hours, the Nigeria Customs Service reached its 2024 revenue target of NGN 5.07 trillion, collecting NGN 5,079,455,088,194.38, with more than a month remaining in the fiscal year. This exceptional performance, projected to exceed our target by 10 percent, validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation,” he stated.
Adeniyi also mentioned plans to establish a Customs university as part of efforts to enhance the service’s capacity.
