The Nigeria Customs Service has officially decorated a new group of senior officers following their elevation by the Nigeria Customs Service Board, marking a fresh phase of leadership restructuring within one of Nigeria’s most strategic government agencies responsible for trade facilitation, border security, and revenue generation.
The development was disclosed through an announcement on the official X handle of the Nigeria Customs Service on Sunday. The Service emphasised that the investiture ceremony held earlier in the week was designed to both celebrate the honourees and communicate the expectations attached to their higher responsibilities. Okay News reports.
The event, which took place on Wednesday at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters auditorium in Abuja, featured the formal decoration of five newly appointed Deputy Comptroller-Generals. These officers include Baba Imam, Isah Umar, Tijjani Abe, Timi Bomodi, and Oluyomi Adebakin. Their elevation follows the recent retirement of several senior officials, creating opportunities for new leadership to strengthen administrative, enforcement, and operational capacities across customs formations nationwide.
In addition to the Deputy Comptroller-Generals, the ceremony also saw eight senior officers elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General. Those decorated include CG Ogbonna, I. Abba-Aji, G. M. Haruna, E. J. Edelduok, G. Gaura, I. Isyaku, M. S. Shuaibu, and M. D. Malah. According to the Nigeria Customs Service, their new roles are expected to enhance policy enforcement, improve compliance management, and optimise operational efficiency across all border and revenue commands.
Another highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of ten officers who received special promotions. These promotions were awarded based on what the Service described as “exceptional hard work, professionalism, and remarkable contributions to national revenue, enforcement, and administrative excellence.”
Speaking at the gathering, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly promoted officers and urged them to approach their new duties with renewed dedication.
“It is my prayer that this new set of officers will fulfil their obligations and live up to the challenge given to them. Decisions will be taken as members of management. And when they are taken, irrespective of differences during the build-up to such decisions, they now become the decisions of everybody,” the Comptroller-General said.
He called on the senior officers to be vigilant and to maintain integrity in the face of pressures that may arise from external sources. He noted, “We are also very vulnerable to pressures at this level from outside the Service. This is the time for us to see the Service as our own. This is the time for us to stand up for whatever value we have created for ourselves.”
Addressing officers who were not selected for special promotion, the Comptroller-General encouraged them not to be discouraged. He stressed that commitment and sincerity would eventually be recognised. He further emphasised the importance of leadership mentoring within the Customs structure, highlighting the need for senior officers to guide and transfer institutional knowledge to their subordinates.
The Nigeria Customs Service stated that the promotions reflect its commitment to rewarding merit and improving leadership quality at all levels of its operations, ensuring that national economic and security objectives continue to be upheld.
