By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of one Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs and five Assistant Comptrollers-General of Customs following the statutory retirement of some senior officers in the Service.
The decisions were taken at the Board’s 65th Regular Meeting held on September 2, 2026 and chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele.
The newly confirmed Deputy Comptroller-General is Constantine Dim from the South-East, while the five Assistant Comptrollers-General are Pascal Chibuoke from the South-East, Sani Yahaya from the North-Central, Franklin Onyeka and Chibuzor Eyakwaire from the South-South, and Ethelbert Nnaji from the South-East.
According to a press statement signed by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the appointments were made in line with the Federal Character Policy of the Federal Government as provided under Section 14(4) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
The Board also approved the elevation of the Nigeria Customs Service Medical Corps to a sub-department to be headed by an Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, with nine Comptrollers to assist in its administration.
It was further briefed on the ongoing recruitment exercise, with successful candidates invited to appear for documentation, physical and medical screening from September 7, 2026.
On disciplinary matters, the Board considered a number of appeals involving officers and took decisions ranging from dismissal and compulsory retirement to warning, exoneration and reinstatement, depending on the circumstances of each case.
The meeting also reviewed the Service’s revenue performance against its 2026 annual target of N11.074 trillion. As of the end of June, the Service had collected N4.30 trillion, representing 36.4 per cent of the yearly target.
The Board noted that the Customs Service had intensified measures aimed at improving revenue collection and trade facilitation, including the full deployment of the Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu.
Other measures highlighted included expanded post-clearance and real-time audit, the Authorised Economic Operator and advance ruling programmes, deployment of geospatial technology, joint border patrols and increased engagement with members of the trading community.
The Board also approved the Nigeria Customs Service De-Minimis Regulation, 2025, following consideration of the report of its Technical and Operations Committee. The regulation is to be aligned with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
Members of the Board were also updated on progress in the Service’s digital transformation programme, covering trade systems, human resources automation, NII infrastructure and other digital applications.
The meeting further considered an invitation from the Federal Ministry of Finance for stakeholders to submit memoranda proposing amendments to the Nigeria Customs Service Act for possible consideration in the 2027 Finance Bill.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, on behalf of the Board, congratulated the newly confirmed management members and pledged the Service’s continued commitment to accountability, institutional strengthening and sustained revenue mobilisation.
