President Bola Tinubu on July 31, 2025, authorized a one-year extension of Bashir Adeniyi’s tenure as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), a decision formally announced by the Presidency.
The extension, effective from his original appointment date of June 12, 2023, is designed to enable Adeniyi to solidify ongoing reforms and complete critical initiatives aligned with Tinubu’s administration’s economic agenda. The Presidency highlighted Adeniyi’s leadership in boosting monthly revenue collections by 30% to an average of ₦400 billion, a significant leap from ₦308 billion in 2023, driven by enhanced anti-smuggling measures and the rollout of the e-Customs platform, which is 70% complete and aims to reduce cargo clearance times by 40%.
Adeniyi’s tenure has not been without controversy, including a July 2025 legal challenge alleging discrepancies in his academic credentials, which the NCS dismissed as a smear campaign by vested interests. The extension comes amid plans to implement a $500 million revenue enhancement program targeting ₦5 trillion annually, a cornerstone of Tinubu’s fiscal policy to address a ₦9.18 trillion budget deficit.
Critics, including the Association of Nigerian Professionals, argue the move may shield Adeniyi from accountability, especially with ongoing probes into alleged corruption in customs allocations, though no formal charges have been substantiated. Supporters, including the Ministry of Finance, praise his role in modernizing trade facilitation, with 15 new scanning machines deployed in 2025. The narrative of administrative stability is compelling, but its success will depend on transparency in addressing legal challenges and delivering on promised reforms.