By George Ozalla

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the release of the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, while unveiling plans to commence annual recruitment beginning from 2026 in a move aimed at ensuring a more predictable and efficient manpower development process.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, made the announcement during a press briefing, describing the publication of the final list as the conclusion of a recruitment process that began in December 2024.

He disclosed that the successful candidates comprise 1,275 officers in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.

The Customs boss apologised to applicants and their families over the prolonged recruitment exercise, acknowledging that it lasted much longer than anticipated.

According to him, the delay was occasioned by the enormous number of applications received, extensive verification processes and the need to ensure that only qualified candidates emerged successful.

He revealed that the Service received a total of 573,680 applications for just 3,852 vacancies, making the exercise one of the most competitive in its history.

Adeniyi explained that every application underwent multiple stages of scrutiny, including application screening, computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the National Identity database before the final selection.

He added that successful candidates would still undergo physical and medical assessments, as well as a final review by the Nigeria Customs Service Board before their appointments are concluded.

The Comptroller-General stressed that the integrity of the exercise was never compromised despite the intense interest it attracted from different quarters.

“I can confidently defend this list on its merit because the standards set by the Service from the beginning were strictly followed throughout the process,” he said.

Giving a breakdown of the competition, Adeniyi noted that the overall success rate stood at only 0.67 per cent, representing approximately one successful applicant out of every 148 candidates.

He said the Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 positions, translating to one successful candidate out of every 217 applicants.

The Inspectorate Cadre recorded 128,604 applications for only 367 vacancies, making it the most competitive category with a success ratio of one in 350 applicants.

For the Customs Assistant Cadre, he said 168,081 applications were received for 2,210 available positions, representing one successful applicant out of every 76.

Addressing the more than 560,000 unsuccessful applicants, Adeniyi urged them not to lose hope, saying many met the recruitment requirements but could not be accommodated because of the limited number of vacancies.

He encouraged them to update their credentials and prepare for the next recruitment exercise, assuring that another opportunity would come much sooner than in previous years.

On the geographical spread of the successful candidates, the Comptroller-General said all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory were represented in line with the Federal Character principle.

He explained that each state received 35 slots in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, amounting to 105 positions per state, while the FCT received 72 slots in accordance with the approved allocation formula.

According to him, the North-West and North-Central zones each secured 735 positions because they comprise seven states, with the latter also including the FCT.

The North-East, South-West and South-South zones each accounted for 630 successful candidates, while the South-East had 525, reflecting its five-state composition.

He emphasised that no state received preferential treatment and that no allocation was made at the discretion of any Customs officer.

Adeniyi also highlighted the gender distribution of the successful candidates, revealing that 839 women, representing 21.8 per cent of the total intake, secured appointments.

He noted that although women constituted 21.2 per cent of total applicants, they achieved a slightly higher success rate than their male counterparts.

According to him, one out of every 144 female applicants was successful, compared to one out of every 150 male applicants.

He attributed the relatively lower female participation to the fact that about 85 per cent of the vacancies were in physically demanding enforcement and anti-smuggling operations, which traditionally attract fewer female applicants.

The Customs chief, however, said the Service would intensify efforts to encourage more qualified women to participate in future enforcement recruitment exercises.

On the age profile of the new recruits, Adeniyi disclosed that the median age of successful candidates is 26 years, with nearly three-quarters of them below the age of 30.

He described the youthful composition as a strategic advantage, saying the officers would serve the organisation over the next three decades and help drive the Service’s transition towards technology-driven customs administration.

Speaking on institutional reforms, Adeniyi attributed part of the recruitment delay to the retirement of many senior officers over the past two years, but maintained that the Service remained operationally stable, sustaining its revenue generation and anti-smuggling responsibilities.

He commended President Bola Tinubu, the Nigeria Customs Service Board led by the Minister of Finance, and officers of the Service for their support in maintaining institutional stability throughout the period.

The Comptroller-General announced that the Nigeria Customs Service would henceforth conduct recruitment annually.

He said the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year and would be completed within a single calendar year, from advertisement to the release of the final list.

According to him, the screening architecture and verification systems developed during the current exercise would significantly reduce delays in subsequent recruitment exercises.

He added that annual recruitment would enable the Service to plan its manpower requirements more effectively while giving qualified Nigerians regular opportunities to seek employment without waiting several years.

Adeniyi advised successful candidates to await official communication through the contact details they provided during application and urged them to rely only on official Customs communication channels.

He reiterated that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service is entirely free, warning applicants against paying money to individuals or groups claiming to facilitate employment.

He urged members of the public to report anyone demanding payment for recruitment to the Service and relevant security agencies.

Congratulating the successful applicants, the Comptroller-General charged them to uphold the high standards and traditions of the Nigeria Customs Service, while assuring unsuccessful candidates that another recruitment window would open later this year under the newly introduced annual recruitment system.