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 nationwide process that attracted 573,680 applications.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi said the successful candidates were selected across three entry cadres: 1,275 for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.
The Comptroller-General apologised for the delay in concluding the recruitment, acknowledging the concerns of applicants and their families.
He explained that the process took longer than expected due to the unprecedented volume of applications, extensive verification procedures, and significant retirements among senior officers, which placed pressure on the Service’s administrative capacity.
He said every application underwent rigorous screening, including computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the national identity database to ensure only qualified candidates emerged.
According to him, successful candidates will now proceed to physical and medical assessments before a final review by the Nigeria Customs Service Board.
Describing the exercise as highly competitive, the Customs boss said only 3,852 applicants were selected from over 573,000 submissions, representing a success rate of just 0.67 per cent, or roughly one successful candidate for every 148 applicants.
He disclosed that the Inspectorate Cadre was the most competitive, with 128,604 applications for only 367 positions, while the Superintendent Cadre received 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies. The Customs Assistant Cadre attracted 168,081 applications for 2,210 positions.
Addressing unsuccessful applicants, the Comptroller-General said many met the recruitment requirements but could not be accommodated because of the limited vacancies. He encouraged them to update their credentials and apply in future recruitment exercises.
On the geographical spread of successful candidates, he said all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were represented in line with the Federal Character principle.
Each state received 105 slots comprising 35 Superintendent, 10 Inspectorate and 60 Customs Assistant positions, while the FCT received 72 slots under the applicable allocation formula.
He stressed that no state received preferential treatment and that no allocation was made at the discretion of any officer.
The Comptroller-General also highlighted gender representation in the exercise, revealing that women secured 839 positions, representing 21.8 per cent of the total intake, slightly higher than their 21.2 per cent share of total applications.
He noted that female applicants had a marginally higher success rate than male applicants overall, particularly in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.
However, he explained that the lower proportion of female recruits reflected the nature of available vacancies, as about 85 per cent of the positions were in physically demanding enforcement and border operations roles that attracted fewer female applicants.
He added that the Service would intensify efforts to encourage more qualified women to apply for enforcement roles in future recruitment exercises.
The Comptroller-General further disclosed that the successful candidates are predominantly young, with a median age of 26 years, noting that nearly three-quarters of them are below the age of 30.
He said the youthful workforce would strengthen the Service’s capacity to adapt to emerging technologies, data-driven operations and automated risk management systems shaping modern customs administration.
In a major policy announcement, the Comptroller-General revealed that the Nigeria Customs Service has adopted an annual recruitment cycle.
He said the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year and would be completed within one calendar year, from advertisement to the release of the final list.
According to him, the systems developed during the current recruitment exercise would enable future recruitment processes to be faster, more transparent and predictable.
He urged successful candidates to await official communication from the Service and warned members of the public against paying money to anyone for recruitment, reiterating that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service remains free.
He advised applicants to rely only on official NCS communication channels and report anyone demanding payment for employment to the appropriate authorities.
Congratulating the successful candidates, the Comptroller-General urged them to uphold the values and standards of the Nigeria Customs Service, while assuring unsuccessful applicants that another recruitment opportunity would be available sooner under the newly introduced annual recruitment system.
