- The Nigeria Customs Service announced 3,852 successful candidates from 573,680 applications in its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise
- Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi revealed the results at a press briefing in Abuja, breaking down slots across three entry cadres
- The Customs Service also announced a shift to annual recruitment, with the 2026 exercise expected to open before the end of this year
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
Nigeria’s thousands of job seekers who participated in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) 2024/2025 recruitment exercise have finally received clarity as the agency has released the final list of successful candidates, bringing the lengthy selection process to an end.
The Service also announced a major policy shift that is expected to create more regular employment opportunities for Nigerians by introducing an annual recruitment exercise instead of the previous irregular hiring pattern.
Credit: NCS
Source: Facebook
Only 3,852 candidates emerge successful
Speaking during a press briefing at the Nigeria Customs Service headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, confirmed that 3,852 applicants were offered employment after a highly competitive recruitment exercise that attracted 573,680 applications nationwide.
The successful candidates were distributed across three cadres:
- Superintendent Cadre: 1,275 candidates
- Inspectorate Cadre: 367 candidates
- Customs Assistant Cadre: 2,210 candidates
According to Adeniyi, the recruitment exercise, which commenced in December 2024, took about 20 months to complete due to the overwhelming number of applications, extensive screening procedures and multiple verification stages.
Customs apologises for lengthy recruitment process
Acknowledging the long wait experienced by applicants and their families, the Customs boss apologised for the delays, describing the process as one of the most demanding recruitment exercises ever conducted by the Service.
He said every application underwent thorough screening, computer-based testing and verification against Nigeria’s national identity database to ensure transparency and credibility.
Adeniyi noted that the experience had helped the Service build stronger recruitment systems that would significantly shorten future hiring exercises.
Recruitment was extremely competitive
The Comptroller-General revealed just how intense the competition was.
Out of 573,680 applications, only 3,852 candidates secured employment, representing a success rate of just 0.67 per cent, or roughly one successful applicant out of every 148 candidates.
The competition varied across the three cadres:
- The Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, translating to one successful candidate for every 217 applicants.
- The Inspectorate Cadre recorded the fiercest competition, receiving 128,604 applications for only 367 positions, equivalent to one successful applicant for every 350 candidates.
- The Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications, with 2,210 candidates eventually selected, representing one successful applicant for every 76 applicants.
Women, young Nigerians feature prominently
Adeniyi disclosed that the recruitment complied fully with the Federal Character principle, ensuring representation for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Each state received 105 slots across the three cadres, while the FCT was allocated 72 positions.
He also revealed that 839 women, representing 21.8 per cent of successful candidates, secured appointments, slightly exceeding their share of total applications.
According to him, the median age of successful candidates is 26 years, reflecting the Service’s commitment to building a younger workforce capable of driving its transition to technology-driven customs administration.
Customs warns against recruitment fraud
The Customs boss warned applicants to ignore fraudsters demanding money in exchange for employment.
He stressed that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service remains completely free and urged anyone approached for payment to report such individuals to the Service and security agencies.
Annual recruitment begins
In what is expected to excite thousands of job seekers, Adeniyi announced that the Nigeria Customs Service has officially adopted a yearly recruitment cycle.
Under the new arrangement, recruitment will no longer occur after several years but will become a predictable annual exercise.
Credit: NCS
Source: Facebook
He disclosed that the 2026 recruitment exercise will commence later this year, adding that the Service intends to complete future recruitment processes within a single calendar year using the digital screening and verification systems already established.
The move, he said, will enable Customs to replace retiring officers more efficiently while giving qualified Nigerians a regular opportunity to compete for available positions each year.
Customs breaks silence over viral recruitment message
Legit.ng earlier reported that the recent warning issued by the Nigeria Customs Service regarding a fake recruitment update circulating on social media.
The service urged the public to stay vigilant and rely solely on official channels to avoid falling victim to fraudulent job offers.
In a time when many Nigerians are desperate for employment opportunities, this warning serves as a crucial reminder of the deception lurking online, preying on the hopes of job seekers. The consequence of sharing unverified information can lead to disappointment and distrust, emphasising the importance of verification before acting.
Source: Legit.ng