By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the final phase of its 2025 recruitment exercise, with shortlisted candidates undergoing documentation, physical fitness assessment and medical screening at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Gwagwalada, Abuja.
The two-week exercise, which began on Monday, September 7, 2026, is scheduled to run until September 19 and covers candidates shortlisted for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASCII), Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.
To manage the large number of applicants and avoid congestion at the screening centre, the candidates are being attended to in batches arranged alphabetically according to their states of origin.
The exercise involves several stages, including documentation and verification, physical fitness assessment and medical screening. Officials are also paying attention to the conduct of candidates throughout the process, with the Service stressing that discipline and attitude are important considerations alongside the physical requirements.
Addressing the candidates at the centre, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, congratulated those who had reached the final stage and urged them to follow the rules guiding the exercise.
“On behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, I congratulate you on reaching this stage,” Onyeka said.
He told the candidates that the screening was not limited to determining whether they met the required physical standards, explaining that their behaviour and attitude were also being assessed.
“I urge you to remain orderly and strictly adhere to the guidelines. Beyond physical requirements, your attitude, discipline, and conduct are critical factors in deciding who ultimately joins the Service,” he said.
Onyeka advised the candidates to comply with instructions from officials and maintain proper conduct throughout their stay at the screening centre.
He also disclosed that the NCS was working closely with the Customs Police and other relevant units within the Service to protect the integrity of the recruitment exercise and ensure that activities at the centre remained orderly.
The involvement of the various units, he said, was part of the arrangements put in place to ensure that the recruitment process was properly supervised and conducted in accordance with established procedures.
The batching of candidates according to their states of origin has also helped to regulate the movement of applicants through the different stages of the screening. Rather than having all shortlisted candidates report at the same time, the arrangement allows officials to handle each group in an organised manner.
Also speaking on the exercise, the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Dow Gaura, said the arrangements at the centre reflected the administrative direction of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
Gaura said improvements in administration, collaboration among units and the adoption of new approaches had helped to keep the screening process under control.
“Everything happening here reflects the policy vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, which emphasised continuous operational improvement, collaboration, and innovation,” he said.
According to him, the cooperation among the different units involved in the exercise had contributed to the smooth conduct of the screening.
He described the process as seamless and hitch-free, adding that it had so far been conducted without any casualties.
The screening for candidates in the Assistant Superintendent of Customs cadre concluded on Thursday, September 10, while the assessment of candidates in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres will continue until September 19.
Candidates who successfully complete the documentation, physical fitness and medical stages will proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process as determined by the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Service is expected to conclude the exercise after all shortlisted candidates have passed through the required stages and the final selection process has been completed.
