Inaugurates N19.6bn Nigeria Customs Head Office

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to commission its newly built N19,605,133,460 billion corporate headquarters building in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to commission the massive building today in a ceremony that would also be attended by top government functionaries and members of diplomatic corps.

The deputy comptroller-general of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi who conducted journalists round the building yesterday described it as a world class architectural and technological masterpiece office complex that is befitting of the status of the Nigeria Customs Service and a showpiece of the skill, craftsmanship, and ingenuity by the designers and managers of the project.

The project was conceived in 2002 with the aim of providing a comfortable and conducive working environment for staff and all other authorised visitors to the building. But construction work on it started in 2007.

The DCG said except for the determination of the current Comptroller-general of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to ensure the completion of the building within his time in office, the construction work was delayed by variations and adjustments.

He told journalists that staff of the service would be moved into the new facility in phases but failed to say what would happen to the old office building.

“The design and construction were done by indigenous Nigerian firms employing Nigerian staff of all categories, and thus we doff our hats to say that this is truly a building that encompasses the ‘I can do all things’ Nigerian spirit,” he stated.

“The building sits on approximately 25,000 square metres of luxuriant, ample and comfortable working spaces, all spread over 13 (thirteen) floors made up of a basement, ground floor, 1st to 10th floors and finally a penthouse. The height of the building above the ground is approximately 40 metres, and is one of the tallest buildings within the business district of Maitama, and therefore stamps an aura of pride and importance amongst all other neighbouring buildings within the vicinity,” DCG Adeniyi said.

The building is subdivided into four zones for ease of reference and identification. The zones include wing A, wing 8, tower, and the bridge building.

The tower consists of the largest executive and upper cadre staff offices and sits on 12 floors including a penthouse. Also included in the tower is the head office; main auditorium with a seating capacity of about 150 – 200 persons. Each of the lower-level floors also has a meeting/conference room and a training hall for staff training and development.