Customs Service faces backlash over plan to spend ₦14.39bn on luxury cars for senior officers.
Critics say funds should go to public needs, not lavish fleets, amid economic hardship.
The Nigeria Customs Service is set to spend a hefty ₦14.39 billion on luxury vehicles for its senior officers as part of a larger ₦35.27 billion budget allocated for the purchase of 579 official vehicles in 2025.
A significant share of the total vehicles is reserved for top-ranking officials, including Comptrollers, Assistant Comptroller-Generals (ACGs), and Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs). The prices of the vehicles allocated to these officers range from ₦44 million to ₦75 million per unit.
The proposed list includes high-end vehicle brands such as BYD hybrids, CHANGAN, MAXUS D90, NISSAN MG5, MIKANO, and NORD. Specifically, the budget outlines:
- 20 CHANGAN CS95 SUVs for ACGs at ₦68 million each, totaling ₦1.36 billion
- 15 MAXUS D90 SUVs for DCGs at ₦70 million each, totaling ₦1.05 billion
- 20 QIN BYD Hybrid sedans for ACGs at ₦65 million each, totaling ₦1.3 billion
- 15 HAN BYD Hybrid sedans for DCGs at ₦75 million each, totaling ₦1.125 billion
- 180 sedans for Comptrollers including NORD C3, MIKANO CHANGAN EADO, and NISSAN MG5 at ₦44.625 million each, totaling ₦9.55 billion
Additional vehicles in the plan include 50 NORD TUSK trucks, 50 NISSAN NAVARA trucks, 100 JIM 4WD trucks, and 10 30-seater buses intended for administrative and operational purposes.
Public outcry over extravagance
The announcement has triggered widespread criticism from various quarters, with many describing the plan as wasteful and tone-deaf given Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges. Critics argue that such lavish spending on luxury cars for public servants sends the wrong message at a time when millions are grappling with inflation, unemployment, and inadequate public services.
In 2024 alone, the Customs Service reportedly seized 397 smuggled vehicles valued at over ₦5.6 billion, as well as thousands of bags of rice and other restricted goods. In 2023, it impounded 3,491 vehicles with a combined duty-paid value of ₦2 billion.
This has raised questions over why seized vehicles many of which are auctioned or left idle are not refurbished and deployed for official use, instead of spending billions on brand-new imports.
Civil society groups demand accountability
Some anti-corruption advocates have criticized the vehicle procurement as a misuse of public funds. They argue that if the seized vehicles are functional or can be repaired for less, it would be far more prudent to repurpose them for official duties, especially for senior officers.
According to critics, the Customs Service cannot continue to present itself as a revenue-generating body while simultaneously engaging in excessive spending. The pattern of purchasing new vehicles year after year even when existing ones remain serviceable reflects a deeper issue of fiscal irresponsibility within government institutions.
Calls for redirection of resources
The timing of this proposed expenditure has further intensified public frustration. With many Nigerians unable to afford basic necessities such as food, transport, and healthcare, critics have called on government agencies to prioritize the needs of the populace rather than indulge in what they describe as “obscene opulence.”
Some suggest that the billions allocated for new vehicles could instead be invested in underfunded sectors like education, public health, and job creation.
The Customs Service is yet to issue a formal response to the backlash, but growing calls for legislative oversight and budgetary scrutiny may prompt a review of the proposal.
