Juliet Jacob 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced enforcement measures against Designated Banks that fail to remit collected Customs revenue within agreed timelines, warning that delays undermine transparency and efficiency in government revenue administration.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, PhD, the NCS said it had observed repeated cases of late remittance by some banks after reconciliation of payments processed through the B’odogwu platform.
According to the Service, such delays constitute a violation of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Customs and participating banks and will no longer be tolerated.
“Any Designated Bank that fails to remit Customs revenue within the stipulated period will attract penalty interest calculated at three per cent above the prevailing Nigerian Interbank Offered Rate for the duration of the delay,” the statement said.
The NCS explained that affected banks would be formally notified of the delayed sums, the applicable penalties, and the deadline for settlement.
The Service further cautioned that banks with a history of repeated non-compliance risk facing additional sanctions beyond financial penalties, including regulatory and administrative actions as provided under the SLA and relevant laws governing revenue collection.
“Prompt, accurate and complete remittance of Customs revenue is a core obligation of Designated Banks,” the NCS said, stressing that payments made into unauthorised accounts—whether by error or design—would be treated as serious infractions.
Customs also urged all Designated Banks to tighten their internal control systems and ensure full compliance with remittance timelines to avoid sanctions.
“The Service remains committed to enforcing accountability, protecting government revenue and promoting a transparent and predictable financial system that supports national economic development,” the statement added.
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Otamere Gladness 
Oluwatobi Adu 
