By Stephen Simon
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has summoned 3,852 successful candidates to report to the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja, for physical screening and documentation—the final hurdle in a grueling 2024/2025 recruitment drive.
The shortlist comes on the heels of one of the most brutally competitive recruitment processes in the agency’s history. Out of an astounding 573,680 initial applicants, fewer than 4,000 made the cut, translating to a razor-thin acceptance rate of just 0.67%. Statistically, only one out of every 148 applicants successfully survived the multi-stage vetting process.
The development was confirmed in an official statement issued on behalf of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi by the National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada.
Severe Cadre Competition
The breakdown of the shortlisted cohort across the three entry cadres illustrates the intensity of the nationwide push for paramilitary positions:
Superintendent Cadre: 1,275 selected out of 276,995 applicants (1 in 217 success rate).
Inspectorate Cadre: 367 selected out of 128,604 applicants (1 in 350 success rate).
Customs Assistant Cadre: 2,210 selected out of 168,081 applicants (1 in 76 success rate).
Addressing the lengthy timeline—the recruitment cycle opened in December 2024 and took nearly two years to reach this stage—Comptroller-General Adeniyi acknowledged applicant concerns and apologized for the delay, citing the vast volume of records requiring strict verification.
To avoid similar delays in the future, the Customs management announced a policy pivot: future recruitment drives will be conducted annually and wrapped up strictly within a single calendar year.
The Service emphasized that attendance at Gwagwalada is compulsory and candidates must strictly adhere to the dates assigned to their respective states and cadres, warning that missed schedules will result in automatic disqualification.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR PHYSICAL SCREENING:
- National Identification Number (NIN) slip
- Original Birth Certificate or Declaration of Age
- Educational Certificates (O’Level, ND, HND, or Degree)
- Certificate of State of Origin
- Two recent passport photographs
- Completed Guarantor’s Form
- NYSC Discharge/Exemption Certificate (where applicable)
Candidates are instructed to report in a uniform code consisting of a plain white T-shirt, white shorts, and white canvas shoes.
Maiwada also reiterated a stern warning regarding employment scams, urging candidates to ignore fraudsters claiming they can influence placement. “No candidate has paid, and no candidate should pay, any person or group for a place on this list,” Adeniyi affirmed, maintaining that the entire process remains completely free.
