From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has restated its commitment to a transparent, merit-driven career progression system, devoid of nepotism and religious favoritism.
Addressing officers during the decoration ceremony for 39 newly promoted personnel at the Customs House in Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, declared that promotions within the service will henceforth be anchored on performance and professionalism. He emphasised that the days of career advancements influenced by personal connections are over as the NCS strengthens its reputation as an integrity-focused institution.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the service’s resolve to promote excellence and accountability, ensuring that dedication and competence are the benchmarks for success in its ranks.
“In our bid to enhance integrity and transparency in the promotions process, career progression will now be based on what you know, not who you know,” he stated.
Adeniyi declared, “Promotion is now based on performance, not on personal affiliations. It’s about your capabilities and your ability to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the job.”
He urged the promoted officers to embrace discipline, anticipate higher responsibilities, and prepare for greater challenges.
A breakdown of the promoted officers is as follows: one Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCGC), seven Assistant Comptroller-Generals of Customs (ACGs), 14 Comptrollers of Customs (CCs), five Deputy Comptrollers (DCs), seven Assistant Comptrollers (ACs), and four Chief Superintendents of Customs (CSCs).
Among those decorated was the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, who was elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller of Customs.
The ceremony, attended by the officers’ family members, was graced by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo. In December 2024, the NCS announced the promotion of 1,419 junior officers following a management meeting led by CGC Adeniyi.
Additionally, the Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) confirmed the appointment of one Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) and seven Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) to the service’s management team.
The NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, stated that these appointments were made to fill vacancies created by the retirement of some management staff from various geopolitical zones across the federation.
The appointees include DCG S. Chiroma (North-East) and ACGs Z.M. Gaji (North-East), O.A. Adebakin (South-West), G.M. Omale (North-Central), M.S. Yusuf (North-Central), D.A. Nnadi (South-East), H.K. Ejibunu (North-Central), and D. Hassan (North-East).
Maiwada explained that the appointments align with the service’s commitment to national inclusivity, institutional balance, and compliance with the Federal Character Policy, as outlined in Section 14(4) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
He further disclosed that the board approved the promotion of 4,291 senior officers at its 61st regular meeting, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun.
“The promotion of senior officers underscores the exceptional performance of both General Duty (GD) and Support Staff (SS) personnel during the 2024 promotion exercise,” he said.
The breakdown of the 4,291 promoted officers includes: 80 Deputy Comptrollers (DCs) advanced to Customs Comptroller (CC); 151 Assistant Comptrollers (ACs) to Deputy Comptroller (DC); 612 Chief Superintendents of Customs (CSCs) to Assistant Comptroller (AC); 641 Superintendents of Customs (SCs) to Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC); 392 Deputy Superintendents of Customs (DSCs) to Superintendent of Customs (SC); 590 Assistant Superintendents of Customs I (ASC I) to Deputy Superintendent of Customs (DSC); 965 Assistant Superintendents of Customs II (ASC II) to ASC I and 860 Inspectors of Customs (ICs) to ASC II.
He concluded that these promotions reflect the dedication and competence demonstrated by the officers during the exercise.