Nigeria Customs Honours Outstanding Staff Behind 2024 Achievements

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has awarded certificates of excellence to 21 of its personnel and several partners for their dedication and exceptional performance in service delivery.

The awards were presented at the NCS headquarters in Abuja on Monday as part of events marking the 2025 International Customs Day.

During the ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, commended the contributions of the awardees and emphasized the agency’s significant accomplishments in 2024. Notably, the NCS facilitated exports valued at N136 trillion and achieved an unprecedented revenue collection of N6.1 trillion.

Adeniyi described International Customs Day as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made, strengthen the agency’s commitment to its mandates, and align its strategies with global customs best practices.

He noted that the 2025 theme, “Customs: Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity,” perfectly encapsulates the NCS’s core objectives of trade facilitation, border security, and economic growth promotion.

“Through relentless efforts, we have made remarkable strides in modernizing customs operations, which is evident in the launch of the pilot Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme. This initiative has reduced cargo clearance time by 66.9%, enabling certified companies to clear goods in an average of 43 hours,” Adeniyi said.

The Comptroller-General also highlighted other critical achievements, including bolstering national security through interventions in areas such as anti-money laundering, cultural heritage protection, drug trafficking, and environmental conservation.

Adeniyi explained that the NCS is integrating advanced technology into its operations, with geospatial tools, modern detection systems, and sophisticated scanners deployed at major ports to enhance efficiency and security.

Looking to the future, Adeniyi reiterated the service’s alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s policy direction and global best practices, outlining transformative initiatives for 2025. These include the nationwide trade modernization deployment, expanded AEO implementation, and the establishment of the NCS University for Trade and Technology.

“Our vision is to create a service that revolutionizes trade facilitation and enforcement. These initiatives, among others, will serve as key performance indicators when we evaluate our achievements at the end of the year,” he added.

The ceremony also featured remarks from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who praised the NCS for its professionalism and critical role in driving economic growth and ensuring national security. He encouraged sustained collaboration and knowledge sharing among agencies to strengthen customs operations and improve border security.

Assistant comptroller-general of Customs in charge of strategic research and planning, Dera Nnadi, commended the award recipients for their efficiency and commitment to duty, which have contributed significantly to the service’s success. He also acknowledged the resilience of other customs officers, emphasizing that their collective efforts were instrumental in achieving the agency’s 2024 milestones.

The International Customs Day, organized annually by the World Customs Organization (WCO) on January 26, serves as a platform to recognize the contributions of customs agencies worldwide in promoting global trade, securing borders, and collecting revenue. This year’s event underscored the NCS’s pivotal role in advancing economic prosperity while remaining committed to global customs standards.