Abuja, Nigeria – In a significant development aimed at bolstering the operational efficiency and strategic direction of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has approved the appointment of five new Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs), eight Assistant Comptroller-Generals (ACGs), and granted special promotions to ten outstanding officers. The decisions were reached during the Board’s 64th Regular Meeting held on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, under the chairmanship of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun.
The meeting, which focused on critical issues of leadership succession, personnel development, and organisational effectiveness, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to upholding the principles of federal character, meritocracy, and statutory compliance as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, particularly Section 14(4).
New Deputy Comptroller-Generals
The Board confirmed the elevation of the following officers to the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs:
- Baba Imam – North-East
- Isah Umar – North-West
- Tijjani Abe – North-West
- Timi Bomodi – South-South
- Oluyomi Adebakin – South-West
These appointments come in the wake of recent retirements among the Service’s top echelon and are intended to inject fresh strategic thinking and regional balance into the senior leadership cadre. The new DCGs are expected to oversee critical directorates and strategic formations, ensuring seamless policy implementation across Nigeria’s vast border networks, seaports, and airports.
New Assistant Comptroller-Generals
In a parallel move, eight seasoned officers were promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General:
- C.G. Ogbonna – South-East
- I. Abba-Aji – North-East
- G.M. Haruna – South-South
- E.J. Edelduok – South-South
- G. Gaura – North-West
- I. Isyaku – North-West
- M.S. Shuaibu – North-Central
- M.D. Malah – North-East
The appointments reflect a deliberate effort to strengthen middle-to-senior management layers, enhance compliance enforcement, modernise trade facilitation processes, and improve inter-agency collaboration on national security matters.
Special Promotions for Exceptional Performance
In a rare and highly coveted recognition, the Board approved Special Promotions for ten officers who have demonstrated extraordinary professionalism, leadership, and measurable impact in revenue generation, anti-smuggling operations, and administrative reforms.
- The beneficiaries are:
- A.C. Fanyam – Promoted to Comptroller of Customs
- G.M. Shidali – Promoted to Comptroller of Customs
- S. Omofoma – Promoted to Deputy Comptroller of Customs
- O.A. Oladepo – Promoted to Deputy Comptroller of Customs
- A.Y. Musa – Promoted to Deputy Comptroller of Customs
- A. Ogboru – Promoted to Deputy Comptroller of Customs
- A.A. Maiwada – Promoted to Deputy Comptroller of Customs
- C.N. Essien – Promoted to Assistant Comptroller of Customs
- H. Aliyu – Promoted to Assistant Comptroller of Customs
- A.S. Shofadekan – Promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Customs
According to the Board’s official statement, the special promotion category is reserved exclusively for officers whose actions have “significantly enhanced operational outcomes, exceeded revenue targets, thwarted major smuggling attempts, or pioneered innovations that have had a direct positive impact on national economic and security interests.”
Sources within the Service indicate that several of these officers played pivotal roles in high-profile seizures, intelligence-led operations, and the successful implementation of the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II) in their respective commands.
Broader Implications for the Nigeria Customs Service
The sweeping changes come at a time when the NCS is under increasing pressure to meet ambitious revenue targets, combat sophisticated smuggling syndicates, curb the influx of prohibited goods, and facilitate legitimate trade amid global economic headwinds.
Industry analysts have welcomed the appointments, noting that the blend of geographic representation and merit-based elevation will help restore morale, reduce regional tensions within the Service, and project a unified institutional image.
A senior customs officer, speaking anonymously, described the development as “a breath of fresh air,” adding that “the new leadership mix brings in experienced hands from both the strategic and tactical levels who understand the realities on ground—from the creeks of the Niger Delta to the Sahel borders in the North.”
The Board emphasised that these appointments and promotions form part of a deliberate, long-term succession planning framework designed to future-proof the Service against emerging challenges in trade facilitation, border security, digital transformation, and regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board and Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, reportedly commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team for sustaining discipline and professionalism, while urging the newly promoted officers to redouble their efforts in support of the Federal Government’s economic diversification and revenue mobilisation agenda.
The Nigeria Customs Service has, in recent years, consistently surpassed its annual revenue targets, with projections for 2025 placing the Service’s contribution to non-oil revenue at an all-time high. Observers believe that a motivated and strategically aligned leadership will be crucial to sustaining this momentum.
As the newly appointed and promoted officers prepare to assume their elevated responsibilities, stakeholders across the trade, logistics, and security sectors will be watching closely to see how these changes translate into faster cargo clearance times, stronger anti-smuggling operations, and more robust collaboration with sister agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service, NDLEA, and the military.
With these far-reaching decisions, the Nigeria Customs Service has signalled its readiness to meet the complex demands of 21st-century border management while upholding the principles of equity, excellence, and national interest.
