By James Akinlade
The leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged senior executives of major brewing companies across the country in discussions centred on tax administration, trade transparency, and the ongoing debate over the proposed tax stamp policy currently being considered by the government.
At the meeting held at its Headquarters in Abuja, the management of the Customs Service also advocated stricter data validation and broader stakeholder engagement in ongoing fiscal and regulatory reforms.
Addressing stakeholders, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, stated that policy decisions affecting critical sectors of the economy must be driven by verifiable data and a common understanding of prevailing market realities.
“We need to have a clear understanding of what constitutes illicit trade. Some of these products are legitimately manufactured in Nigeria. In other jurisdictions, customs administrations are already engaging in discussions around how such products find their way across borders and into unauthorised markets,” CGC Adeniyi said.
He stressed that while the government continues to pursue reforms to strengthen revenue assurance and compliance, the credibility of industry figures presented to policymakers must remain beyond question.
“One thing we need to understand more clearly is where some of these estimates came from. When we are making policy decisions of this nature, the credibility and accuracy of data must never be in doubt,” he added.
Adeniyi also pointed to ongoing reforms within the Service, noting that several trade facilitation tools have been introduced to reduce bottlenecks and improve efficiency across the supply chain.
“We have consistently introduced initiatives aimed at facilitating trade. We introduced the Advance Ruling. We introduced the Authorised Economic Operator programme.
We also rolled out several reforms on our own initiative, not because we were under pressure, but because we recognised the need to improve trade facilitation,” he said.
Regarding the proposed tax stamp policy, Adeniyi stated that consultations are ongoing, adding that the government has taken no final implementation decision.
“As far as I am concerned, consultations are still ongoing. If this initiative is legitimate and beneficial, then we all have a responsibility to ensure that we are heading in the right direction,” he stated.
He urged private-sector stakeholders to deepen engagement with relevant government institutions to achieve a balanced outcome that protects revenue while sustaining industrial growth.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Girish Sharma, said the industry had come to present its concerns on the proposed tax stamp framework, which he noted has generated significant debate within the sector.
Sharma said while the group acknowledges the importance of regulatory controls, the beer industry remains one of the most structured and closely monitored sectors in Nigeria, with minimal exposure to counterfeiting risks.
“We fully understand the purpose and importance of tax stamps, particularly in industries where counterfeiting is a major concern. However, within the beer sector, counterfeiting is minimal,” Sharma said.
He added that existing monitoring systems already provide end-to-end visibility across production and distribution chains.
“From an end-to-end compliance perspective, we believe there is already sufficient transparency and oversight,” he said.
Sharma further highlighted the sector’s economic contribution, noting its role in employment generation, tax revenue and national output, while warning that additional regulatory burdens could have unintended economic consequences if not carefully calibrated.
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