Customs

Maritime stakeholders set agenda for Adeniyi, new Customs boss

Wal

—- decry multiple customs special units.

The Eyewitness reporter

As the euphoria on the appointment of Wale Adeniyi as the new Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, is gradually waning, the industry stakeholders, who unanimously hailed his appointment, have now tasked the new Customs boss, to hit the ground running.

They disclosed that Adeniyi has a lot of work to do given the distortions and dislocation foisted on the Customs processes by his predecessor, Col. Hameed Ali(rtd).

Ventilating the general mood of the industry operators, especially the freight forwarding practitioners, Barrister Ada Akpunonu, a chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) advised the new Customs boss to review some of the actions and policies of his predecessor which she believed had scared away investors and importers from the Nigerian Ports.

Akpunonu said one of the outstanding damages done to customs operations by Ali was the introduction of multiple units of customs which she claimed impeded trade facilitation.

The Amazon of the freight forwarding industry advised the new CG to, as a matter of urgency, commence the process of dismantling this barrier to trade facilitation, if he wants to attract needed revenue.

She believed that Adeniyi has the capacity and experience to reposition the revenue-generating agency

“The appointment of Adeniyi as the CGC was a welcome development and it gladdens our hearts as stakeholders and Customs brokers.

“At least, somebody from the service is now the CGC. Wale is a thoroughbred and experienced officer who rose through the ranks. We congratulate him and are happy for him.

“One of the worst things that happened to Customs was bringing an outsider and we have never had it so bad in Customs when Hameed Ali was the CG.

“Because he was a soldier, he was not a listening leader. He ruled Customs as if the agency was a military command.

“During his tenure, there were so many units he created in a bid to squeeze money out of freight forwarders in the name of revenue collection.

“There was a lack of discipline among the staff, especially the junior ones. His tenure was a disaster.

“But with Adeniyi’s appointment, it is a new dawn in the Customs and we all welcome it with enthusiasm and hope for better Customs operations” she declared.

Akpunonu said that the new CG needs to overhaul the whole system which she claimed has been polluted by the anti-trade policies of Hameed Ali.

”The whole system needs to be overhauled if Wale desires to succeed because Ali has polluted and corrupted the system.

”The particular area which the new CGC needs to look into is the inordinate revenue generation which Ali pursued to the point of killing the facilitation of trade. It got to a point that this passion became a disincentive to foreign investment and many importers, especially foreign ones, had to relocate to the neighboring countries to do their business.

”How do you encourage trade without facilitating trade? When you facilitate trade, trade would be stimulated, there will be more volume of imports and invariably, you will generate more revenue, but that was not the case with Ali who drove the officers crazy in the pursuit of revenue and who in turn harassed and marooned freight forwarders in order to meet their revenue target without facilitating trade. This system as instituted by Ali encourages smuggling.

”Where is the so-called huge revenue they collected when Nigeria still borrowed huge sums from our creditors?

”But we are happy that President Tinubu has appointed an officer who we hope will pursue policies and programmes that will facilitate trade which will enhance revenue. This will make people work with less stress and bring back those had fled our ports.

”Also, there will be less smuggling as trade is being facilitated at the ports and importers and their agents are working in a peaceful and less intimidating environment.

”The new CG should also streamline the multiplicity of Customs units that Ali foisted on the system such as Customs Police, CG strike force and the rest.

”We never experienced the presence of Customs police, we merely heard about them, they are not outside operating in the port environment. This unit is duplicating the function of the Customs Investigating Unit(CIU) which operates like secret agents.

”Even, the Federal Operation Unit(FOU) has also been doing the same work.

”But Ali came and unleashed all kinds of units on the system which encumbered the Customs operations, all doing the same job of running after and harassing importers and their agents to meet the inordinate revenue figures.

”The new CG should therefore streamline all these units into compact and effective machinery that will not encumber trade.

”If the new CG could harness the potential of the well-experienced management and staff of the service we have in Customs, he would succeed in his tenure.

Barrister Akpunonu also decried the menace of touts who he accused of indiscriminately stopping legally exited containers on the road and extorting them.

She called on the Federal government to immediately stop this menace as it is capable of adding to the cost of doing trade at the port and at the same time, been a disincentive to foreign investments in the port industry

”On the issue of touts now stopping legally released consignments on the road and extorting money, that is another worrisome development that is killing trade which the government should help to address.

”It has become a big problem because after the importers have paid and escaped from customs and other agencies at the ports, having paid through their noses, they are still being subjected to another round of extortions and harassment on the road by these touts. This is not to talk of the harrowing experiences we have in the hands of the numerous Customs units on the road.

”So when the importers are taking their goods to their warehouse, they are stopped on the road by the touts.

”To carry your box from the ports and probably, going to Ikeja, you will pay about N150,000 to N200,000, cumulatively, to the touts on the road.

”It is very disheartening and discouraging and I don’t think any responsible government will sit and watch this type of economic menace continue.

”However, the reason why this practice is going on unabated is because we don’t have an association.

”The government may not even be aware of most of these things until they are brought to its notice but our association, ANLCA, is in comatose for the past four years, so there was no longer a voice to speak to the authority on the challenges facing the freight forwarders.

We are mostly to be blamed for some of our woes rather than blaming the government because when we cannot put our house in order, what do we expect the Customs or the government to come and do for us? It is a shame”, Akpunonu declared.

Customs

Customs PR officers dominate NCCSC graduation, clinch overall best honours

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

The Public Relations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a rare academic feat as two of its officers emerged the top graduating students at the Nigeria Customs Service Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada.

At the graduation ceremony for Senior Course 14 held on Friday,June 26th, 2026, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Ridwan Yusuf was named the Overall Best Graduating Student, capping an outstanding performance by winning three additional awards.

His colleague, CSC Nuruddeen Sa’idu, was named the Second Best Graduating Student, completing a remarkable sweep by officers from the Service’s Public Relations Unit.

The double honour highlights the intellectual depth, leadership capacity and professionalism within the Customs Public Relations Unit, demonstrating that its officers excel not only in strategic communication but also in administration, operational management and policy leadership.

Beyond the accolades, the achievement is expected to open another chapter in their careers, as both officers may be retained by the College as Directing Staff, in keeping with the institution’s tradition of engaging its highest-performing graduates to mentor future participants.

If confirmed, the appointments would recognise their exceptional academic and professional abilities while entrusting them with the responsibility of shaping the next generation of Customs leaders, although their absence would be keenly felt within the Public Relations Unit.

The Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Unit congratulated both officers on their outstanding accomplishments and wished them continued success as they assume greater responsibilities in service to the nation.

Customs

Retirement gale sweeps through Customs as Olomu,Bomodi,Oladeji,Adeola,Adebakin, Niagwan among 1,516 officers set to exit service

Funso OLOJO, Editor

A massive retirement wave is set to rip through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with no fewer than 1,516 officers — including several top-ranking officers — pencilled down to leave the Service in 2026 and 2027 in what appears to be one of the largest personnel exits in the agency’s recent history.

The impending retirement storm, which cuts across virtually all cadres of the Service, will see officers from the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General down to Customs Assistant II bow out under statutory retirement provisions, leaving a major vacuum in the upper and middle ranks of the paramilitary agency.

Documents obtained by TheEyewitnessnews show that 825 officers are scheduled to retire in 2026, while another 691 are expected to leave in 2027, bringing the total number of exits within the two-year period to 1,516.

The retirement notices are contained in two restricted circulars issued by the Human Resources and Development Department of the Service and signed by the Comptroller, Establishment, A.A. Bazuaye, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.
The first circular, No. HRD/2025/048 dated September 19, 2025, contains what the Service described as the final list of 825 officers billed to retire in 2026.

A breakdown of the 2026 list shows that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre accounts for the highest number of exits with 285 officers, followed by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226 officers.

Other cadres affected in the 2026 retirement exercise are Assistant Superintendent of Customs I with 64 officers; Chief Customs Officer, 53; Deputy Customs Officer, 51; Assistant Customs Officer, 46; Chief Superintendent of Customs, 61; Inspector of Customs, eight; Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, 10; Customs Assistant I, one; Customs Assistant II, two; Assistant Comptroller-General, 13; and Deputy Comptroller-General, five.

A second circular, No. HRD/2026/020 dated May 26, 2026, forwarded a draft list of 691 officers due for statutory retirement in 2027.

The 2027 retirement schedule shows that the Superintendent of Customs cadre will record the highest number of exits with 200 officers, followed by the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre with 193 officers.

Others on the 2027 list are Deputy Customs Officer, 81; Chief Superintendent of Customs, 68; Assistant Customs Officer, 57; Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, 39; Chief Customs Officer, 38; Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, four; Customs Assistant I, four; Customs Assistant II, four; Inspector of Customs, two; and Assistant Comptroller-General, four.

Both circulars directed all affected officers to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave in line with Public Service Rule 100238 and Federal Government Circular No. 63216/S.1/X/T; CR 1/2001/5 of March 20, 2001.

The directive stated that all officers due for retirement must disengage from active service and proceed on three months’ pre-retirement leave ahead of their effective retirement dates, while also forwarding their three-month pre-retirement notices to the Comptroller-General of Customs.

Among the senior officers affected in the 2026 retirement exercise are Deputy Comptrollers-General Omale (SVC No. 41148), who retired on June 7, 2026; Nnadi (SVC No. 43193), whose retirement took effect on March 3, 2026; Chiroma (SVC No. 42988), who is due to retire on September 23, 2026; and Adeola MRS (SVC No. 42972) and Niagwan (SVC No. 41524), both scheduled to retire on December 23, 2026.

Among the Assistant Comptrollers-General on the 2026 retirement list are Egwuh (SVC No. 38991), who retired on March 14, 2026; Umoh (SVC No. 41351), who exited the Service on February 2, 2026; Mohammed (SVC Nos. 41394 and 41395), both due to retire on June 24, 2026; and Abe (SVC No. 41110), whose retirement date is August 21, 2026.

Others listed for retirement include Olomu (SVC No. 41145), Olaniyan (SVC No. 41197), Yusuf (SVC No. 41257), Oladeji (SVC No. 41308) and Gaji (SVC No. 41328), all scheduled to retire on September 24, 2026.
Also on the list are Adebakin (SVC No. 41670) and Bomodi (SVC No. 42758), both due for retirement on September 23, 2026, as well as Nyam (SVC No. 40428) and Abubakar (SVC No. 40139), whose retirement dates are October 1, 2026, among others.

In the 2027 circular, the Service opened a window for complaints and corrections, directing that any observed error, omission or legitimate complaint arising from the attached retirement list should be forwarded to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General, Human Resources and Development, on or before July 31, 2026.

To ensure the notices get to all affected officers, Zonal Coordinators, Area Controllers and Unit Heads were directed to circulate the retirement lists across commands and formations.

But beyond the raw figures, the sweeping retirement exercise has exposed a deeper structural imbalance in the Service.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, traced the development to a prolonged recruitment gap and years of promotion stagnation in the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to him, a 16-year period of non-recruitment created an unusual personnel bulge, as officers within the 41000, 42000 and 43000 service number brackets rose through the ranks almost at the same pace and now find themselves hitting retirement age or service limits within the same window.

The result, he explained, is a top-heavy structure in which a large number of officers now occupy similar seniority levels and are due to leave almost simultaneously.
Abejide said the retirement of more than 1,500 officers should not be misconstrued as part of any succession plot within the Customs hierarchy, insisting that the exercise is a routine and legally mandated process under Public Service Rule 100238.

The development is coming against the backdrop of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a final six-month tenure extension for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, effectively keeping him in office until February 2027.
The Presidency announced on Friday that Adeniyi’s tenure, earlier scheduled to expire on August 1, 2026, had been extended by another six months to enable him complete key reforms in the Service.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the extension would allow the Customs boss to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window project and also ensure an orderly succession process in the Service.

More significantly, the statement made it clear that Adeniyi would work with the Nigeria Customs Service Board during the transition period to oversee critical personnel decisions, including the promotion of eligible officers to the rank of Comptroller and the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained 60 years of age or put in 35 years in service.

That presidential directive effectively places Adeniyi at the centre of one of the most consequential personnel transitions in the recent history of the Nigeria Customs Service — a transition that will shape not only the next generation of Customs leadership, but also the internal balance of power within the Service.

Customs

Excitement as President Tinubu Extends CGC Adeniyi’s Tenure by Six Months

Funso OLOJO, Editor

A wave of excitement swept through the maritime industry following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a six-month extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi.

In a statement issued on June 19th, 2026, and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu said the extension was necessary to enable Adeniyi to consolidate ongoing reforms, particularly the implementation of the National Single Window project, while also ensuring an orderly succession process within the service.

According to the Presidency, Adeniyi’s current tenure was due to expire on August 1st, 2026.

The six-month extension will now keep him in office until February 2027.

During the transition period, Adeniyi is expected to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to oversee the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and facilitate the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained the statutory retirement age of 60 years or completed 35 years in service.

Adeniyi joined the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s.

He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming a Deputy Comptroller in 2012, Comptroller in 2017, Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020, and Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023 before being appointed Comptroller-General by President Tinubu in June 2023.

Maritime stakeholders who welcomed the development described the extension as an opportunity for the Customs boss to complete the far-reaching reforms he initiated within the service.

One freight forwarder, who preferred anonymity, described the decision as a positive development.

“This is a welcome development because it will enable the Comptroller-General to complete the reforms he has started in the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

“His tenure has been a watershed in the history of the NCS.

“The service has witnessed unprecedented transformation in its operations, revenue generation, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling activities.

“Granting him an extension is a well-thought-out administrative decision by President Tinubu to allow him to complete these achievements.”

Another stakeholder said the extension reflects the confidence of the Presidency in Adeniyi’s leadership.

“The tenure extension is a clear endorsement of Adeniyi’s transformative leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service and the progress recorded under his administration,” the stakeholder remarked.

Industry observers believe the extension will provide continuity for ongoing modernization initiatives and help sustain the momentum of reforms aimed at enhancing trade facilitation, revenue collection, and border security.