RismadarVoice Reporters, August 4, 2026
The Nigeria Customs Service has released the final list of successful candidates in its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, with 3,852 applicants selected from 573,680 applications received.
The Comptroller-General of Customs announced the figures during a press briefing, stating that 1,275 candidates were selected for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.
The exercise, which began in December 2024, took longer than initially expected. The Customs Service attributed the delay to the unusually high number of applications, verification requirements and significant turnover among senior and management personnel.
According to the Comptroller-General, all successful candidates underwent multiple stages of screening, including application review, computer-based testing and verification of credentials against the national identity database.
He said the successful candidates would now proceed to physical and medical assessments, followed by a final review at the Board level.
The competition was particularly intense, with only 0.67 per cent of applicants securing places,s approximately one successful candidate for every 148 applicants.
The Inspectorate Cadre recorded the highest level of competition, with 128,604 applicants competing for 367 positions, representing about one place for every 350 applicants.
The Superintendent Cadre had 276,995 applications for 1,275 positions, while the Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 positions.
On geographical representation, the Customs Service said all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were represented.
Each state received 35 positions in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, totalling 105 positions per state. The Federal Capital Territory received 72 positions.
The Comptroller-General said the allocation followed the Federal Character principle and was not determined at the discretion of individual officers.
Women accounted for 839 of the 3,852 successful candidates, representing 21.8 per cent of the intake. This was slightly higher than their 21.2 per cent share of total applications.
The Service said it would work to attract more qualified women into enforcement roles in future recruitment exercises.
The successful candidates are also relatively young, with a median age of 26 years. The median age was 29 for the Superintendent Cadre, 27 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 24 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.
The Customs Service also announced a major change to its recruitment policy, saying it would move to an annual recruitment cycle.
The 2026 recruitment exercise is expected to open later this year, with the Comptroller-General expressing an intention to complete the process within a single calendar year.
He said the annual recruitment system would allow the Service to better plan for retirements and manpower requirements while giving unsuccessful applicants a predictable opportunity to apply again.
The Service warned successful candidates against falling victim to recruitment fraud, stressing that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service is free.
Candidates will be contacted through the details provided in their applications and were advised to rely only on the official communication channels of the Service.
The Comptroller-General congratulated the 3,852 successful candidates and urged them to uphold the standards and professionalism expected of officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
