By George Ozalla
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called on Nigerians to remain committed to unity, national service and shared responsibility in building a peaceful and prosperous country.
Adeniyi made the call during Ramadan Iftar gatherings hosted by the Service in Abuja as part of activities marking the Muslim holy month, bringing together customs officers, government officials, diplomats, security chiefs, business leaders and members of the media.
The first gathering was held on March 4 at the Dunes Hotel, where the Customs boss received senior government functionaries, captains of industry, representatives of sister security agencies and members of the Customs management team, both serving and retired.
Speaking at the event, Adeniyi described Ramadan as a period of spiritual reflection, discipline and renewal, urging Nigerians to draw lessons from the season and apply them in their daily lives and responsibilities to the nation. He encouraged citizens to use the opportunity provided by the holy month to strengthen faith, promote unity and deepen commitment to national development.
The Comptroller-General stressed that Nigeria’s progress depends on collective responsibility and cooperation among citizens and institutions, noting that unity remains essential for peace, economic stability and national growth.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director of Home Finance at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ali Muhammad, commended the leadership of the Customs Service for implementing reforms aimed at strengthening trade administration and boosting revenue generation for the country.
Muhammad highlighted the Service’s growing deployment of technology to modernise customs operations, pointing to the indigenous B’Odogwu digital trade platform as a key initiative designed to enhance transparency and efficiency in cargo clearance while supporting the Federal Government’s economic recovery agenda.
In her goodwill message, the Managing Director of Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Jummai Umar-Ajijola, praised the Customs leadership for promoting innovation and institutional reforms within the Service. She noted that the B’Odogwu platform had recently attracted international attention during a technology conference in Abu Dhabi where Nigeria’s technology-driven approach to customs administration was showcased to a global audience.
As part of the Ramadan activities, another Iftar gathering was held on March 5 at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, bringing together officers and personnel of the Service to break the day’s fast in an atmosphere of reflection and unity.
