NCS Concludes 2025 Recruitment As Nearly 3,000 Candidates Undergo Screening

By Samuel Egbewole 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has concluded the final phase of its 2025 recruitment exercise, with nearly 3,000 shortlisted candidates screened during a two-week exercise at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The NCS Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, saying candidates across the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASCII), Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres completed documentation, physical fitness assessments and medical screening.

*Shortlisted candidates of the Nigeria Customs Service 2025 recruitment exercise at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Gwagwalada, Abuja.

According to Maiwada, the screening was conducted in batches to ensure an orderly process and minimise congestion at the centre.

Speaking on the outcome of the exercise, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, said measures were introduced to address gaps identified during the earlier phase of the exercise.

He said the measures were designed to improve efficiency, reduce congestion and strengthen the screening process.

Onyeka also stressed the need for discipline and responsibility among the candidates throughout the exercise.

Similarly, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and member of the coordinating team, Adamu Musa, said the exercise recorded significant improvements, with close to 3,000 candidates screened without any casualties.

Musa attributed the progress partly to the introduction of personalised screening forms containing candidates’ records across the different stages of the assessment.

He explained that each shortlisted candidate had a form specifically designed for them, containing their names and other relevant details required for sports assessment, medical screening, documentation and the checklist of required items.

According to him, the system allowed officials to verify the information presented by each candidate against records already available in the system.

Musa said the measure was introduced to prevent unauthorised changes to candidates’ records during the screening process.

He also emphasised the need for continuous manpower development, saying a stronger workforce was essential for the Service to meet its evolving responsibilities in national security, border protection and other services to the nation.

He noted that the growing demands on the Customs Service made continuous improvement of its workforce necessary.

Candidates were assessed against criteria established by the Service, including age, physical fitness and drug screening.

Musa explained that candidates who tested positive for hard drugs, exceeded the stipulated age limit or had physical conditions that could affect their ability to perform their duties could be disqualified, subject to the final decision of the Service’s management.

He also advised candidates and members of the public to obtain recruitment information only through the NCS official website and verified social media platforms to guard against fraudulent messages.

The NCS had on August 4, released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise.

The recruitment exercise attracted 573,680 applications for the 3,852 available positions, comprising 1,275 candidates for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.