In a move to mitigate imminent leadership transition crisis staring the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) management in the face, its Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi, proposes accelerated career progression for deserving officers
By Edu Abade,
Innocent Chukwu
In the near future, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) who have exhibited rare talent and undiluted dedication to their duty, may receive double promotion. This speculation is not unconnected with the revelation of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, during his address at the just concluded CGC’s Conference held in Abuja last week.
Commenting on what he referred to as “a significant internal challenge”, which he said, must be addressed transparently using ambitious Human Resource Development plan, Adeniyi hinted that the unprecedented retirement gale that has hit the top-level cadre of the NCS since 2022 has created a leadership transition challenge and vacuum for his management team.
The Customs boss added that with 60 percent of the management team retired in 2022, another 36 percent in 2023 and yet another 76 percent in 2024, the service faces a severe management yawning gap.
In Adeniyi’s welcome address at the conference, he projected that before the end of 2024 another 40 percent of the management officers will be retired.
He told the audience that the Service has recognized an urgent need for a strategic intervention which will include an accelerated career progression opportunities for deserving officers. Officers who have shown dedication and those with special skills, talent and endowment are to benefit from the gesture, indicating that such officers are likely to get double promotion in order to fill the gap.
Adeniyi said: “A significant internal challenge we must address transparently is the unprecedented rate of leadership transitions within our Service. The statistics tell a compelling story: we saw 60 percent of our management team exit in 2022, 36 percent in 2023, and this year, we will experience a 76 percent change in our management composition.
With projections indicating another 40 percent of our management staff retiring in 2024, we recognize the urgent need for strategic intervention. In response, we have launched an ambitious Human Resource Development Plan that addresses both immediate and long-term needs. This includes accelerated career progression opportunities for deserving officers, ensuring that talent and dedication are appropriately rewarded.
Most significantly, we are making a historic investment in human capital infrastructure through the establishment of a Customs University – a testament to our commitment to building a knowledge-driven service. These initiatives, aligned with the World Customs Organization’s focus on youth leadership development, complement our comprehensive talent management program that identifies and prepares promising officers for leadership roles, ensuring the Service’s continued stability and effectiveness.”
Before the year 2009, the last recruitment into the NCS was in 1994. Between then and 2009 were 15 long years during which the Service never witnessed fresh intake of senior officers thereby creating a long gap the NCS is grappling with at present.
In 2009 senior officers with different skills were recruited who have been given accelerated promotion by a former CGC, Hameed Ali-led management enabling them to attain the Assistant Comptroller rank. These have also a promotion examination for the rank of Deputy Comptroller cadre.
But by 2026 when the senior officers of 1994 would be retiring by age, the only the DCs of 2009 would remain the highest ranking officers in the NCS. The new Customs Act of 2022 has no provision for a transfer of service as was the case in the 1980s. Hence, the need for the CGC’s accelerated career progression plan.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that sustained economic transformation requires commitment, innovation and adaptation to emerging global trends, insisting that as a country bent on creating a resilient and prosperous economy, his administration is determined to deepen its integration into global value chains and strengthen its position as a reliable trading partner.
He stated this in his opening remarks at the yearly conference of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Abuja, maintaining that as a key facilitator of international trade and guardian of the nation’s borders, the Nigeria Customs will continue to play a fundamental role in advancing national economic objectives.
The President, who commended the Customs Service and Adeniyi for sustained efforts at revenue generation and trade facilitation in the last one year, stressed that the success of his administration’s reform agenda significantly depends on the NCS’s ability to balance trade facilitation with regulatory compliance while fostering meaningful partnerships across board.
His words: “Sixteen months ago, my administration began with a clear and unwavering vision- to strengthen Nigeria’s economic base and deliver positive growth and development for the benefit of all Nigerians. This vision remains unchanged.
“In pursuing this vision, we have built upon existing foundations while introducing necessary reforms to adapt to our evolving economic realities. Our focus has been on strengthening what works, refining what needs improvement, and introducing new initiatives where gaps exist.
“We recognized that certain economic policies, though useful in their time, needed to be realigned with current global economic dynamics to better serve our national interests and the wellbeing of all Nigerians.”
The President explained that while building on the administration’s foundational reforms, the Federal Government has expanded its focus to strengthen Nigeria’s position in global trade and investment.
“Through strategic initiatives, we are enhancing trade facilitation, modernizing our port infrastructure and streamlining business processes to reduce barriers to trade. Our commitment to creating an enabling business environment has resonated with the international investment community.
“The confidence in our economy is reflected in the significant surge in foreign direct investments, which has exceeded $30 billion in the past year. This achievement demonstrates that our policies are yielding positive results, making Nigeria increasingly attractive for both domestic and international investors. More importantly, these improvements are creating new opportunities for Nigerian businesses to participate more actively in global trade,” he stated.
He stressed that considering Nigeria’s role in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and our position as West Africa’s largest economy and urged participants at the conference to focus on innovative approaches that will strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones to advance national interests within an expanding trade landscape.
Speaking further, President Tinubu urged international partners and stakeholders at the conference to help deepen the global dimension of his reform agenda, adding: “Nigeria, as Africa’s largest economy, is determined to deepen its integration into global value chains and strengthen its position as a reliable trading partner.
“Our commitment to sustainable economic reforms, trade facilitation, and creation of an enabling business environment is firm and irreversible. We see our international partnerships as crucial catalysts in our journey towards becoming a more competitive player in global trade, particularly as we position ourselves to harness the opportunities presented by expanding regional and continental markets.”
In his keynote address titled: Nigeria Customs Service: Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose, Adeniyi, recalled the commitments the Nigeria Customs Service made during last year’s conference, which he said, reshaped its engagement with stakeholders in 2024.
“The Continental Declaration of 2023 marked a turning point in our approach to partnership- not just a document of promises, but a blueprint for transformation. Today, I stand before you to demonstrate how those commitments have evolved into tangible achievements.
“Our pledge was comprehensive and ambitious: modernizing our processes through a one-stop solution for cargo alerts, revolutionizing our ICT infrastructure, streamlining examination procedures, and embracing automation for enhanced efficiency.
“We committed to reimagining our free trade zone operations, elevating cargo integrity standards, and expanding our scanning capabilities. Above all, we promised to usher in a new era of customs operations – one built on transparency, efficiency and genuine collaboration with our partners,” he stated.
Adeniyi, who presented the performance scorecard of the Service in the last one year, informed that as of November 12, 2024, the NCS hit its 2024 revenue target of NGN N5.079 trillion, which he said has already surpassed its revenue target for the year.
“This performance-projected to exceed our target by 10 percent- validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation. The achievement is not merely about numbers, as it demonstrates how enhanced stakeholder collaboration, improved processes and modernized systems can deliver tangible results for the Nigerian economy.
“Our commitment to trade facilitation has garnered significant recognition and yielded measurable results. The Service’s leap of 33 points upward in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) rankings, placing us among the top five agencies in trade facilitation, reflects the impact of our reform initiatives.
“This improvement goes beyond metrics-it represents real changes in how we facilitate trade across borders. We have expanded our focus beyond traditional import operations to actively support exporters and nurture small and medium scale enterprises.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) Secretariat’s recognition of our innovative approaches led to an invitation to share Nigeria’s experience at the Biashara Afrika Forum in Kigali last month. This recognition culminated in a historic milestone-Nigeria’s first shipment under the, marking our country’s practical commitment to continental trade integration.”
Adeniyi, who provided further details of other achievements of the Service under his leadership, said the momentum of the NCS’ modernization initiatives continues to build and yielding immediate benefits for our stakeholders.
“With the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, we have successfully implemented several key reforms. Our Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) scheme now has six beneficiaries in its pilot phase, carefully selected based on stringent compliance criteria.
“The Advanced Ruling system has processed 31 requests, with 12 rulings issued-notably, 75 percent of these were completed in October following our stakeholder sensitization efforts, among others,” he added.
