The Nigeria Customs Service has reportedly budgeted ₦14.39 billion for luxury vehicles for its senior officers in 2025, drawing sharp criticism from civil society. According to the Customs’ appropriation bill, submitted for approval, the agency also plans to spend a total of ₦35.27 billion on 579 official vehicles, with top-tier staff at Comptroller and Assistant Comptroller-General ranks set to receive units priced between ₦44 million and ₦75 million each.
Ayo Ologun, convener of Transparency and Accountability Group (TAG), described the allocation as “hypocrisy and insincerity at the highest levels of government.” He questioned the need for all-new luxury purchases when hundreds of seized vehicles remain unused, saying: “If it means they will only need to carry out a few repairs… why can’t you take luxury vehicles among those that you have impounded… spend a little money on them to make them usable… and save us as a nation from this wastage?”
He went on to argue that vehicle seizures worth over ₦5.6 billion in 2024 could have easily been repurposed to meet operational needs rather than being auctioned off. Ologun said the continued purchase of new luxury units while Nigerians face economic hardship is “wasteful and insensitive,” especially at a time when funds are desperately needed for education, healthcare, and social welfare.
