By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates in its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, bringing to an end a process that began in December 2024.
The Comptroller-General of Customs ( CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi disclosed this during a press briefing, stating that the successful candidates comprise 1,275 candidates in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.
1.The recruitment exercise attracted 573,680 applications, making it one of the most competitive recruitment exercises undertaken by the Service. Overall, only 0.67 per cent of applicants were selected, representing approximately one successful candidate for every 148 applicants.
The Superintendent Cadre received 276,995 applications for 1,275 positions, while the Inspectorate Cadre recorded 128,604 applications for 367 positions. The Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 available positions.
The Comptroller-General apologised to applicants and their families for the prolonged recruitment process, explaining that the Service conducted extensive screening, computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the national identity database.
He said the delay was necessary to ensure that only qualified candidates emerged from the exercise.
According to him, all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory are represented on the final list, with the Federal Character principle fully applied.
Each of the 36 states received 105 positions, comprising 35 in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, while the FCT received 72 positions.
On gender representation, the CGC disclosed that 839 women, representing 21.8 per cent of the successful candidates, were selected.
He added that the recruitment produced a young workforce, with the median age of successful candidates at 26 years, while close to three-quarters of those selected are below 30.
NCS to Commence Annual Recruitment
The major announcement from the briefing was the decision by the Nigeria Customs Service to adopt an annual recruitment cycle.
The CGC announced that the 2026 Recruitment Exercise will open later this year, with the intention that the process will be completed within a single calendar year, from advertisement to the release of the final list.
He explained that the annual recruitment cycle would enable the Service to plan its manpower requirements more effectively and provide unsuccessful applicants with a predictable opportunity to apply again.
The CGC also warned successful candidates against fraudsters, stressing that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service is completely free.
He urged candidates to rely only on the official communication channels of the Service and warned that anyone demanding payment for recruitment would be treated as a criminal and reported to the appropriate security agencies.
Congratulating the 3,852 successful candidates, the Comptroller-General urged them to uphold the standards and traditions of the Nigeria Customs Service as they begin their careers.
He assured unsuccessful applicants that another opportunity will come soon, following the introduction of the annual recruitment cycle.
