The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has explained the reasons behind the 20-month delay in concluding the agency’s 2024/2025 recruitment exercise.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Adeniyi said the process was delayed by the unusually high number of applications, administrative challenges and the need to ensure that only qualified candidates were selected.
According to him, the recruitment, which opened in December 2024, officially ended in August 2026 with the release of the final list of successful applicants.
A total of 3,852 candidates were selected from 573,680 applications received across the country.
Adeniyi apologised to applicants and their families for the long wait, acknowledging that the exercise took longer than expected.
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“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.
The Customs boss explained that every application had to pass through several stages of screening and verification before the final selection was made.
“The volume alone was extraordinary. The Service received 573,680 applications for 3,852 places. Every one of those applications had to be received, verified and assessed,” he stated.
He added that the retirement and movement of senior officers during the period also affected the administrative capacity of the Service.
According to Adeniyi, the agency chose to prioritise transparency and accuracy over speed.
“The time was taken because the Service was determined that the right candidates should emerge,” he said.
He explained that shortlisted applicants underwent application screening, computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the national identity database.
Where discrepancies were discovered, officials conducted additional checks before candidates could proceed to the next stage.
“Where a record did not reconcile, we went back and checked it again,” Adeniyi added.
The Comptroller-General described the exercise as one of the most competitive in the history of the Service, noting that only 0.67 per cent of applicants were successful.
He said the Inspectorate Cadre recorded the highest competition, while the Customs Assistant Cadre had the largest number of available positions.
Addressing unsuccessful applicants, Adeniyi urged them not to lose hope, stressing that many met the requirements but could not be accommodated because of the limited vacancies.
“I want to speak directly to the more than 560,000 Nigerians who applied and whose names are not on this list. You were not rejected; you were unlucky in a field of extraordinary competition.
“Many of you met every requirement the Service set. There were simply not enough places. I encourage you to remain engaged with the Service, to keep your credentials current, and to apply again. As I will explain shortly, the next opportunity is not years away,” he said.
He also assured the public that the recruitment complied with the Federal Character principle, with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory represented in the final list.
The successful candidates will now proceed to physical and medical assessments before the final board review.