Nigeria Customs Releases Final List of 3,852 Successful Candidates, Introduces Annual Recruitment Cycle

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, bringing to a close a process that attracted an unprecedented 573,680 applications from across the country.

The Comptroller-General of Customs announced the development during a press briefing, while apologising for the prolonged recruitment process and unveiling plans to make recruitment into the Service an annual exercise.

The successful candidates were selected across three entry cadres, with 1,275 recruited into the Superintendent Cadre, 367 into the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 into the Customs Assistant Cadre.

According to the Comptroller-General, the release of the final list marks the conclusion of the recruitment exercise that commenced in December 2024.

Addressing concerns over the delay, the Customs boss acknowledged the frustration experienced by applicants and their families, saying the Service regretted the extended timeline.

He explained that the delay was caused by the overwhelming number of applications, which required extensive verification and scrutiny, coupled with a significant wave of retirements among senior officers that placed pressure on the Service’s administrative capacity.

According to him, every application underwent multiple layers of assessment, including application screening, computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the national identity database. Where discrepancies were discovered, additional checks were conducted before candidates were cleared.

He noted that the shortlisted candidates would still undergo physical and medical assessments before a final review by the Nigeria Customs Service Board.

The Comptroller-General stressed that despite widespread interest from different quarters, the final list was produced strictly on merit.

He maintained that the standards established at the beginning of the recruitment process guided every stage of the exercise, adding that he was prepared to defend the integrity of the selection process.

The recruitment exercise proved to be one of the most competitive in the Service’s history. Out of 573,680 applicants, only 3,852 candidates were successful, representing an overall success rate of just 0.67 per cent or approximately one successful applicant for every 148 candidates.

Competition varied across the three cadres. The Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, representing one successful candidate for every 217 applicants.

The Inspectorate Cadre emerged as the most competitive, receiving 128,604 applications for only 367 positions, a ratio of one in 350. Meanwhile, the Customs Assistant Cadre recorded 168,081 applications for 2,210 vacancies, translating to one successful applicant for every 76 candidates.

The Comptroller-General encouraged the more than 560,000 unsuccessful applicants not to lose hope, noting that many met the required qualifications but could not secure places because of the limited vacancies.

He assured them that future opportunities would come sooner than in previous years, following the introduction of an annual recruitment cycle.

The Service also emphasised that the recruitment reflected Nigeria’s federal character principle.

According to the breakdown, all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were represented on the final list.

Each state received an equal allocation of 105 positions, comprising 35 places in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, while the FCT received 72 positions in line with the applicable allocation formula.

By geopolitical zones, the North West secured 735 positions, while the North Central accounted for 702, including the FCT. The North East, South South and South West each received 630 positions, while the South East accounted for 525 positions due to having five states instead of six.

The Comptroller-General stressed that no allocation was made at the discretion of any officer, insisting that the federal character principle was fully observed throughout the exercise.

On gender representation, women accounted for 839 successful candidates, representing 21.8 per cent of the total intake.

He pointed out that women constituted 21.2 per cent of all applications received, meaning they secured appointments at a slightly higher rate than their overall share of applications.

Statistics released by the Service showed that one out of every 144 female applicants was successful compared with one in every 150 male applicants.

The advantage for female applicants was particularly evident in the Customs Assistant and Inspectorate cadres, although the Superintendent Cadre recorded a slightly higher success rate for male applicants.

The Comptroller-General explained that the relatively lower overall number of successful female candidates reflected the nature of the available vacancies.

He noted that about 85 per cent of the recruitment involved physically demanding enforcement duties, including anti-smuggling patrols, border operations and field examinations, areas that traditionally attracted fewer female applicants than specialist and support roles.

He, however, disclosed that the Service would intensify efforts to attract more qualified women into operational and enforcement positions in future recruitment exercises in order to build a more representative workforce.

The successful candidates also represent a relatively young workforce. The median age of the recruits is 26 years, with median ages of 29, 27 and 24 years for the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres respectively.

Nearly three-quarters of the successful candidates are below the age of 30.
According to the Comptroller-General, this youthful profile positions the Service to meet future demands as customs administration increasingly relies on technology, digital systems and automated risk management.

He also addressed concerns over institutional stability, noting that the Service had experienced significant retirements among senior officers over the past two years.

Despite the turnover, he said Customs operations, revenue generation and enforcement activities remained stable, attributing this to the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the guidance of the Nigeria Customs Service Board chaired by the Minister of Finance, and the professionalism of officers and personnel of the Service.

The Customs boss described the recruitment exercise as a lesson in the importance of continuous manpower renewal, saying this informed the decision to institutionalise yearly recruitment.

He announced that beginning this year, the Nigeria Customs Service would conduct recruitment annually rather than at irregular intervals spanning several years.

He disclosed that the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year and expressed confidence that the entire process – from advertisement to the publication of the final list – would be completed within a single calendar year.

According to him, the systems, screening architecture and verification procedures developed during the current recruitment exercise would significantly reduce delays in future exercises.

He added that annual recruitment would enable the Service to plan effectively for anticipated retirements while providing prospective applicants with predictable opportunities to compete for employment.

The Comptroller-General advised successful candidates to await direct communication from the Service through the contact information provided during their applications and urged them to rely only on official Customs communication channels.

He reiterated that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service remains entirely free of charge, warning applicants against paying money to individuals or groups claiming to influence the recruitment process.

He said anyone demanding payment on behalf of the Service should be reported immediately to the Nigeria Customs Service and relevant security agencies.

Congratulating the successful candidates, the Comptroller-General said they had earned their positions through a rigorous and highly competitive process and reminded them that they would be expected to uphold the high standards and traditions of the Nigeria Customs Service throughout their careers.

He also reassured unsuccessful applicants that another recruitment opportunity would soon be available under the newly introduced annual recruitment system, while thanking Nigerians for their patience throughout the recruitment exercise.