After about 19 months of waiting, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise. The service received 573,680 applications.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja, while announcing a major reform that will make recruitment into the Service an annual exercise.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja, describing the exercise as one of the most competitive in the history of the Service.
According to him, the successful candidates comprise 1,275 officers in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, representing an overall success rate of 0.67 per cent—about one successful candidate for every 148 applicants.
Adeniyi apologised to applicants and their families for the prolonged recruitment process, admitting that the exercise took significantly longer than expected.
“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,” he said.
He attributed the delay to the unprecedented volume of applications, extensive verification procedures and the retirement of a significant number of senior officers during the recruitment period.
According to the Customs boss, every successful applicant passed through multiple stages of screening, including application assessment, computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the National Identity database before being shortlisted.
He added that successful candidates would still undergo physical and medical assessments, as well as a final review by the Nigeria Customs Service Board before resuming duty.
Inspectorate Cadre Emerges Most Competitive as Merit Tops Selection
The Comptroller-General stressed that the final list was based strictly on merit and due process despite what he described as widespread interest from different quarters.
“I can tell you that the list I place before you today is one I am prepared to defend on its merits,” he stated.
The recruitment figures showed intense competition across all three cadres.
While the Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, equivalent to one successful candidate for every 217 applicants, the Inspectorate Cadre emerged as the most competitive, recording 128,604 applications for only 367 positions, translating to one successful candidate for every 350 applicants.
The Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 vacancies, representing one successful candidate for every 76 applicants.
Addressing the more than 560,000 unsuccessful applicants, Adeniyi said many met the recruitment requirements but could not be accommodated because of the limited vacancies.
“You were not rejected; you were unlucky in a field of extraordinary competition,” he said, encouraging them to keep their credentials updated and reapply in the next recruitment exercise.
On geographical spread, Adeniyi said all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were represented in the final list in line with the Federal Character principle.
Each state received 105 slots comprising 35 Superintendent, 10 Inspectorate and 60 Customs Assistant positions—while the Federal Capital Territory received 72 slots in accordance with the approved allocation formula.
He emphasised that no state received preferential treatment, adding that allocations reflected only the constitutional federal character principle.
Women Record Slightly Higher Success Rate Than Men
The Comptroller-General also highlighted gender representation in the exercise, revealing that 839 women, representing 21.8 per cent of the successful candidates, secured appointments.
He noted that women accounted for 21.2 per cent of total applications, meaning female applicants recorded a slightly higher success rate than male applicants overall.
According to him, women were particularly successful in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres, although they remained underrepresented in core enforcement roles because fewer female candidates applied for those positions.
To improve inclusion, Adeniyi said the Service would intensify efforts to attract more qualified women into operational and enforcement roles during future recruitment exercises.
He further disclosed that the recruitment exercise produced a predominantly youthful workforce, with a median age of 26 years, while nearly 75 per cent of successful candidates are below the age of 30.
According to him, the younger workforce would strengthen the Service’s long-term capacity as Customs operations increasingly rely on technology, data analytics and automated risk management systems.
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In what he described as the most consequential outcome of the exercise, Adeniyi announced that the Nigeria Customs Service would henceforth conduct recruitment every year.
“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 said.
He disclosed that the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year and would be concluded within the same calendar year, explaining that the systems and screening architecture developed during the current exercise would significantly shorten future recruitment timelines.
Adeniyi said the new approach would enable the Service to plan its manpower needs more effectively, replace retiring personnel on schedule and provide prospective applicants with greater certainty.
He also warned successful candidates and members of the public against falling victim to recruitment fraud, reiterating that employment into the Nigeria Customs Service is free.
He urged candidates to rely only on official communication channels and report anyone demanding payment in exchange for recruitment to the Service and relevant security agencies.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.