Budget: Customs to Splash N14.39bn on Luxury Cars for Top Officers as Nigerians Battle Hardship

The Nigeria Customs Service plans to spend a staggering N14.39 billion on luxury vehicles for its senior officers in 2025, sparking outrage amid widespread economic hardship across the country.

The lavish spending is part of a N35.27 billion budget proposal for 579 new official vehicles, with the bulk of the most expensive ones reserved for top-ranking officers—Comptrollers, Assistant Comptroller-Generals (ACGs), and Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs). Unit prices for the luxury vehicles range from N44 million to N75 million.

Among the planned purchases are 20 CHANGAN CS95 SUVs for ACGs at N68 million each (N1.36 billion total), 15 MAXUS D90 SUVs for DCGs at N70 million each (N1.05 billion), 20 QIN BYD hybrid sedans for ACGs at N65 million each (N1.3 billion), and 15 HAN BYD hybrids for DCGs at N75 million apiece (N1.125 billion). Additionally, 180 sedans—comprising NORD C3, MIKANO CHAGGAN EADO, and NISSAN MG5—for Comptrollers are priced at N44.625 million each, totalling N9.55 billion.

The procurement plan also includes dozens of trucks and 30-seater buses intended for general operational use.

The announcement has triggered heavy criticism from civil society groups, who accuse the agency of tone-deaf extravagance while millions of Nigerians face soaring food prices, poor healthcare, and joblessness. Activists say the billions earmarked for cars could fund vital infrastructure, education, or public welfare programs.

Ayo Ologun, convener of the Transparency and Accountability Group, slammed the Customs leadership for hypocrisy, pointing out that the agency frequently seizes vehicles over unpaid duties but prefers to auction them rather than use them internally. “Why not refurbish impounded cars instead of splurging billions on new ones? This shows insincerity and waste,” he said.

Debo Adediran, Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, described the budget as “obscene opulence.” He said the move is especially galling when ordinary Nigerians are “roasting in poverty.” “At a time like this, such spending is not only insensitive—it’s immoral,” he added.

Despite regularly touting its revenue generation and enforcement achievements, including over 397 vehicle seizures worth N5.64 billion in 2024, critics say Customs’ actions expose a contradiction between public service and elite comfort.