ACG Edelduok Leads Oyo/Osun Stakeholder Talks, Drives Excise Compliance

ZAINAB JUNAID

In a bid to strengthen compliance, boost revenue generation, and address operational challenges affecting industry players, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its stakeholder engagement strategy in the excise sector.

This formed the focus of an engagement led by the Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) in charge of Excise, Free Trade Zone and Industrial Incentives, Eghosa Joy Edelduok, during her visit to the Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Service on Thursday, 9 April 2026.

Addressing excise traders and key stakeholders at the Command’s Operational Headquarters, ACG Edelduok underscored the strategic importance of excise factories to national revenue, noting that sustained compliance remains critical to meeting and surpassing the Service’s fiscal targets.

She commended operators for their adherence to existing regulations but urged them to deepen collaboration with the Service to enhance efficiency, transparency, and revenue performance.

The ACG also highlighted the strong contribution of the Oyo/Osun Area Command, which accounts for a significant share estimated at about one third of overall excise revenue, describing the Command as a critical hub in the Service’s revenue architecture.

She further charged officers overseeing excise operations to maintain vigilance and professionalism in monitoring compliance, stressing that operational discipline will be key to achieving projected targets for the year.

In his remarks, the Acting Customs Area Controller for the Command, Deputy Comptroller Wale Moses Adewole, described the engagement as timely, noting that it provides a structured platform for dialogue between regulators and industry players.

He expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management for initiating the engagement framework, which he said is already yielding benefits in terms of improved compliance and better understanding of industry concerns.

According to the acting Area Controller, sustained interaction with stakeholders will not only enhance regulatory alignment but also help identify and resolve operational bottlenecks affecting excise businesses.

The engagement concluded with an interactive session, during which stakeholders sought clarifications on key issues and highlighted challenges affecting their operations, with assurances from the Service of continued collaboration and support.