The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, with 3,852 applicants selected from a total of 573,680 submissions.
Announcing the development on Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the successful candidates span the Superintendent, Inspectorate, and Customs Assistant cadres, with representation from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He also apologised for delays in the process and disclosed that the Service will now conduct recruitment exercises annually, with the next cycle expected to begin later this year.
Adeniyi described the recruitment as rigorous and transparent, noting that every applicant underwent multiple screening stages, including computer-based tests and identity verification. Out of the total intake, 1,275 candidates were selected for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.
The overall success rate stood at just 0.67%, meaning roughly one candidate was selected for every 148 applicants. Competition varied across categories, with the Inspectorate Cadre being the most competitive at one successful candidate for every 350 applicants, followed by the Superintendent Cadre at one in 217 and the Customs Assistant Cadre at one in 76.
Adeniyi explained that the delay in releasing the list was largely due to the scale of applications and the Service’s commitment to ensuring only qualified candidates were selected.
He emphasised that the recruitment followed a strict federal character principle, ensuring equal distribution across states. Each state received 35 slots in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre, and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, amounting to 105 positions per state, while the FCT received 72 slots based on the applicable allocation formula. According to him, no state was given preferential treatment.
On gender representation, Adeniyi revealed that 839 of the successful candidates were women, representing 21.8% of the total intake. He noted that female applicants had a slightly higher success rate than their male counterparts, with a selection ratio of one in 144 compared to one in 150 for men. Women performed particularly well in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres, although participation in physically demanding enforcement roles remained lower.
The Service, he added, plans to encourage more female participation in such roles in future exercises.
The recruitment also reflects a relatively young intake, with a median age of 26 years.
By cadre, the median age is 29 for the Superintendent level, 27 for Inspectorate, and 24 for Customs Assistant, with nearly three-quarters of successful candidates under 30. Adeniyi said this aligns with the Service’s need to adapt to technology-driven customs operations.
He further announced a major policy shift, stating that recruitment into the Service will now be conducted annually.
According to him, the 2026 recruitment exercise will commence later this year and is expected to be completed within a single calendar year, a move aimed at improving workforce planning and addressing retirements more efficiently.
Addressing unsuccessful applicants, Adeniyi encouraged them not to lose hope, noting that many met the requirements but could not be accommodated due to limited vacancies. He urged them to remain engaged and apply again in the next cycle.
Successful candidates, he said, will be contacted directly using the details provided during application and will proceed to physical and medical screening, followed by a final board review.
He reiterated that recruitment into the Service is completely free and warned applicants to avoid fraudsters demanding payment for job placement.
