Customs Unveils 3,852 Successful Candidates, Introduces Annual Recruitment Cycle
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, while announcing a major policy shift that will see recruitment conducted annually to ensure timely manpower replacement and greater opportunities for young Nigerians.
The announcement was made during a press briefing by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who also apologised to applicants for the prolonged recruitment process, attributing the delay to the rigorous verification procedures adopted to ensure transparency and merit.
According to a statement issued by the Nigeria Customs Service, the briefing highlighted the conclusion of the recruitment exercise. The statement reflects the position of the Comptroller-General, while details of the exercise were made public during the media briefing.
A total of 3,852 candidates were selected from 573,680 applications, comprising 1,275 successful candidates in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, officially bringing the recruitment process, which commenced in December 2024, to a close.
Adeniyi admitted that the exercise took longer than expected and offered an apology to applicants and their families.
“This exercise has taken longer than any of us intended. On behalf of the Service, I offer my sincere apologies to every applicant who has waited, and to the parents and guardians who waited with them. That wait was real, and I do not diminish it,” he said.
The Comptroller-General explained that the Service had to process an exceptionally high number of applications while simultaneously coping with a wave of retirements among senior officers. He added that every application underwent multiple layers of scrutiny, including application screening, computer-based examinations, credential verification and identity confirmation before the final list was approved.
He stressed that the Service resisted external pressures and ensured that only deserving candidates emerged.
“The list I place before you today is one I am prepared to defend on its merits, and the standards the Service set for itself at the beginning of this process are the standards that produced it,” Adeniyi stated.
He described the competition as one of the toughest in recent years, noting that the overall success rate stood at 0.67 per cent, meaning roughly one successful candidate emerged from every 148 applicants.
According to him, the Inspectorate Cadre recorded the highest level of competition, with 128,604 applicants competing for just 367 positions, representing a ratio of one successful candidate to every 350 applicants. The Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, while the Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 positions.
Addressing unsuccessful applicants, the Customs boss said many met the required qualifications but could not be accommodated because of the limited number of vacancies.
“You were not rejected; you were unlucky in a field of extraordinary competition. Many of you met every requirement the Service set. There were simply not enough places,” he said, urging them to prepare for the next recruitment cycle.
Adeniyi disclosed that the recruitment exercise strictly complied with the Federal Character principle, with every state receiving an equal allocation of 105 positions, while the Federal Capital Territory received 72 slots in accordance with constitutional provisions.
He also revealed that 839 women, representing 21.8 per cent of successful candidates, secured positions during the exercise. He noted that female applicants slightly outperformed male applicants relative to the number of applications received, especially in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.
On the age profile, the Comptroller-General said the Service deliberately recruited younger officers capable of adapting to emerging technologies shaping global customs administration. He disclosed that the median age of successful candidates is 26 years, with nearly three-quarters of them below the age of 30.
In what he described as one of the most significant reforms in the Service’s recruitment history, Adeniyi announced that the Nigeria Customs Service would henceforth conduct annual recruitment exercises.
“The Nigeria Customs Service is moving to an annual recruitment cycle. Recruitment will no longer be an occasional event undertaken every several years. It will be a standing, predictable, yearly process,” he announced.
He revealed that the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year and would be completed within a single calendar year, from advertisement to the publication of the final list.
According to him, the annual recruitment model will enable the Service to replace retiring officers more efficiently while providing young Nigerians with regular employment opportunities instead of waiting years for fresh recruitment.
The Comptroller-General urged successful candidates to rely only on official communication channels for further instructions regarding physical and medical screening, warning that recruitment into the Service remains completely free.
He cautioned applicants against fraudsters demanding money in exchange for employment, stressing that anyone making such demands should be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Congratulating the successful candidates, Adeniyi reminded them that joining the Nigeria Customs Service comes with enormous responsibilities and expectations.
“You have earned your place in a field of more than half a million applicants. You are joining a Service with a proud tradition and a demanding standard, and you will be held to that standard from your first day,” he said.
