Customs, Fire Service, Unilever Sign MoUs On Cooperation
By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Fire Service (FFS) and Unilever Nigeria PLC have signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation on fire safety, trade facilitation, counterfeiting and protection of legitimate business in Nigeria.
The agreements were signed on August 27, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, with the parties committing to closer collaboration on security, emergency response, intelligence sharing, consumer protection and other areas of mutual interest.
Speaking during the signing of the agreement with the Federal Fire Service, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the MoU as a deliberate step towards improving cooperation between the two agencies and advancing their responsibilities to protect lives, property and critical national assets.
Adeniyi said the agreement would improve fire safety standards at Customs facilities, facilitate faster response to emergencies, promote joint training and capacity building, and strengthen the exchange of information on fire safety and emergency preparedness.
“I am very confident that this MoU will translate to practical actions that save lives, protect government assets, and enhance our collective capacity to respond to emergencies,” he said.
The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Adeyemi, described the agreement as the first strong MoU between the Fire Service and a sister agency, assuring that the FFS would deploy its capacity to protect Customs personnel and assets.
At a separate engagement with Unilever Nigeria PLC, Adeniyi said the agreement reflected the NCS commitment to closer engagement with the private sector in tackling challenges affecting trade and industrial development.
He said the partnership would strengthen efforts to prevent counterfeiting, improve intelligence sharing and assist Customs officers in identifying and verifying suspected counterfeit products.
According to him, the MoU would establish a structured channel for the exchange of real-time information on trademarks, product identification features, packaging and product samples.
The Customs boss said engagements with private-sector operators had provided information that contributed to Customs policies and operational decisions.
“Some of the takeaways we get from these engagements with the private sector influence the policies and decisions that we take,” Adeniyi said.
He commended Unilever for its sustained investment, innovation and employment generation in Nigeria, describing the company as an important partner in the country’s trade and industrial sector.
The Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria PLC, Tobi Adeniyi, said the company’s operations in Nigeria dated back to 1923 and that more than 70 per cent of its raw materials were now sourced locally.
He said the company supported about 15,000 direct and indirect jobs, while commending the NCS for reforms in its operations, particularly digitalisation, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and other trade facilitation initiatives.
Tobi said previous engagements between Unilever and the NCS had produced practical results, including the application of lessons from training conducted for more than 70 Customs officers.
He said Unilever remained committed to working with the NCS to tackle counterfeiting and illicit trade, adding that the company would seek to expand the partnership through further engagements across the country.
