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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 selection process that attracted over half a million applications and announcing a major shift to annual recruitment beginning in 2026.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs said the successful candidates comprise 1,275 officers in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.
The Comptroller-General acknowledged the prolonged recruitment process, apologising to applicants and their families for the delay, which pushed the release of the final list from the expected March timeline to August.
He attributed the delay to the unprecedented volume of applications, extensive verification procedures and the high rate of retirements among senior officers during the exercise.
According to him, the Service received 573,680 applications for only 3,852 vacancies, with every application subjected to multiple stages of screening, including computer-based examinations, credential verification and validation against the national identity database.
He stressed that successful candidates would still undergo physical and medical assessments before receiving final approval from the Nigeria Customs Service Board.
The Comptroller-General maintained that despite the intense interest surrounding the recruitment, the selection process remained transparent and merit-based.
"The list I present today is one I am prepared to defend on its merits," he said.
The recruitment exercise recorded an overall success rate of just 0.67 per cent, equivalent to one successful candidate for every 148 applicants.
The Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 positions, translating to one successful applicant out of every 217 candidates.
The Inspectorate Cadre proved the most competitive, receiving 128,604 applications for only 367 vacancies, or one successful candidate in every 350 applicants.
For the Customs Assistant Cadre, 168,081 applicants competed for 2,210 positions, representing one successful candidate in every 76 applicants.
Addressing unsuccessful applicants, the Customs boss urged them not to lose hope, noting that many met the required qualifications but were edged out by the intense competition.
He encouraged them to keep their credentials updated and apply in the next recruitment exercise.
The Comptroller-General disclosed that all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory are represented in the final list 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 positions in accordance with the approved allocation formula.
On gender representation, he said women secured 839 positions, accounting for 21.8 per cent of the total intake, slightly exceeding their share of applications, which stood at 21.2 per cent.
He explained that women recorded better selection ratios than men in both the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres, while male applicants had a slight advantage only in the Superintendent Cadre.
The Comptroller-General noted that the relatively lower number of female recruits reflected the fact that about 85 per cent of available positions were in physically demanding enforcement and border operations roles, which attracted fewer female applicants.
He added that the Service would intensify efforts to encourage more qualified women to pursue careers in frontline enforcement.
The Customs chief also described the intake as youthful, revealing that the median age of successful candidates is 26 years, with nearly three-quarters under the age of 30.
According to him, the young workforce is expected to drive the Service's transition towards technology-driven customs administration over the coming decades.
In what he described as the most significant outcome of the exercise, the Comptroller-General announced that the Nigeria Customs Service would henceforth conduct recruitment annually.
He disclosed that the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year and be concluded within the same calendar year.
He said the systems and verification infrastructure established during the current exercise would significantly shorten future recruitment timelines and enable the Service to plan manpower needs more effectively.
Successful candidates, he said, will be contacted through the details provided in their applications and advised to rely only on official Customs communication channels.
He reiterated that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service remains completely free, warning applicants against fraudsters demanding payment in exchange for employment.
Congratulating the successful candidates, the Comptroller-General urged them to uphold the Service's standards of professionalism and integrity while assuring unsuccessful applicants that another recruitment opportunity would be available sooner than in previous years.