Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has called for stricter data validation and broader stakeholder engagement in ongoing fiscal and regulatory reforms as the Customs Service engaged leaders of Beer Sectoral Group over the proposed tax stamp policy.
The engagement, held at the Customs headquarters in Abuja, brought together senior executives from major brewing companies to deliberate on tax administration, trade transparency, and the implications of the tax stamp framework currently under government consideration.
Adeniyi stressed that policy decisions affecting key sectors must be based on verifiable data and a clear understanding of market realities, warning that inaccurate or questionable figures could undermine effective policymaking.
He noted that while concerns around illicit trade are valid, it is important to properly distinguish between legitimate local production and genuinely illicit products circulating in the market.
“We need to have a clear understanding of what constitutes illicit trade. Some of these products are legitimately manufactured in Nigeria,” he said, adding that global customs systems are also evolving in how they track product movement across borders.
The Customs boss further questioned the reliability of some industry estimates used in policy debates, insisting that “the credibility and accuracy of data must never be in doubt” when making decisions with far-reaching economic implications.
Adeniyi also highlighted ongoing reforms within the service aimed at improving trade facilitation, including the introduction of the Advance Ruling system and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, alongside other internal efficiency measures designed to reduce bottlenecks in the supply chain.
On the proposed tax stamp policy, he clarified that consultations are still ongoing and no final implementation decision has been taken by government.
“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 continued engagement between the private sector and relevant government institutions to ensure that any eventual policy outcome balances revenue assurance with industrial growth and trade facilitation.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Girish Sharma, said the beer industry had come forward to express concerns about the proposed framework, which has generated debate across the sector.
Sharma acknowledged the importance of regulatory oversight but argued that the beer industry already operates within a highly structured compliance environment with minimal exposure to counterfeiting risks.
He added that existing monitoring systems already provide end-to-end visibility across production and distribution, suggesting that additional layers of regulation could create unnecessary pressure on the sector.
Sharma further emphasized the industry’s contribution to employment, tax revenue, and national output, while cautioning that new regulatory measures must be carefully designed to avoid unintended economic consequences.
