The Nigeria Customs Service has released the final list of successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, revealing that 3,852 applicants were selected from a total of 573,680 applications received nationwide.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the successful candidates were recruited into the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres, with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory represented.
Adeniyi apologised for the delay in concluding the exercise, explaining that the Service prioritised a thorough and transparent selection process over speed.
He also announced that recruitment into the Service would now be conducted annually, with the next exercise scheduled to commence later this year.
“I am pleased to announce the release of the final list of successful candidates in the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise of the Nigeria Customs Service. A total of 3,852 candidates have been offered places across the three cadres of entry,” he said.
He disclosed that the Service received an unprecedented 573,680 applications for just 3,852 vacancies, making the overall success rate about 0.67 per cent.
According to him, applicants underwent several stages of screening, including application verification, computer-based examinations and identity checks against the national database before the final list was approved.
“Every candidate on this list passed through multiple stages of scrutiny. We took the time necessary to ensure the process was credible and fair,” Adeniyi stated.
Breaking down the figures, the Customs boss said 1,275 candidates were recruited into the Superintendent Cadre, 367 into the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 into the Customs Assistant Cadre.
He noted that competition was highest in the Inspectorate Cadre, where only one applicant was selected for every 350 applications received.
Addressing unsuccessful applicants, Adeniyi urged them not to lose hope, stressing that many qualified candidates could not be accommodated because of limited vacancies.
“Many of you met the required standards. There were simply not enough openings. I encourage you to keep your credentials up to date and apply again during the next recruitment exercise,” he said.
The Customs CG said the recruitment reflected the federal character principle, with each state allocated 105 slots across the three cadres, while the Federal Capital Territory received 72 positions in line with the approved formula.
On gender representation, he disclosed that 839 women, representing 21.8 per cent of successful candidates, secured employment. He noted that women accounted for 21.2 per cent of total applications and were selected at a slightly higher rate than male applicants.
Adeniyi also said the new recruits are largely young Nigerians, with a median age of 26 years, adding that nearly three-quarters of those selected are below the age of 30.
He attributed the delay in completing the exercise partly to retirements within the Service but maintained that operational performance remained stable throughout the recruitment period.
Announcing a major policy shift, Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service would now conduct recruitment every year.
“Recruitment will no longer be an occasional exercise. The 2026 recruitment will open later this year, and our goal is to complete future exercises within a single calendar year,” he said.
He advised successful candidates to monitor only official Customs communication channels for further instructions, warning members of the public not to pay anyone for recruitment opportunities.
“No candidate has paid, and no candidate should pay, for a place in the Nigeria Customs Service. Anyone demanding payment is a criminal and should be reported,” Adeniyi warned.
