THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the final stage of its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, inviting 3,852 successful candidates for physical screening and documentation at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
News Point Nigeria reports that the exercise follows one of the most competitive recruitment processes in the history of the Service, which attracted 573,680 applications but produced only 3,852 successful candidates, representing a success rate of just 0.67 per cent, or about one successful applicant for every 148 applicants.
The latest development was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.
The statement partly read, “The Nigeria Customs Service wishes to inform all successful candidates who applied for recruitment into the Service that the physical screening and documentation exercise is scheduled to take place at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja.”
The Service directed all successful candidates to appear for the physical screening and documentation exercise with the original and photocopies of their required documents.
The documents include the National Identification Number, original birth certificate or declaration of age, educational certificates, certificate of state of origin, two recent passport photographs, completed guarantor’s form and NYSC certificate where applicable.
Candidates are also required to wear a white T-shirt, shorts and canvas shoes for the exercise.
“Furthermore, all shortlisted candidates are required to appear for the screening and documentation exercise with the original and photocopies of the following documents: National Identification Number; original Birth Certificate or Declaration of Age; and educational certificate(s), including O’Level, ND, HND, Degree or other applicable qualifications. 3. In addition, candidates must present a Certificate of State of Origin; two (2) recent passport photographs; a completed Guarantor’s Form; and an NYSC Certificate, where applicable. Candidates are required to wear a white T-shirt, shorts, and canvas shoes for the exercise,” it added.
The Service warned that candidates must report strictly on the dates allocated to their respective states and cadres, stressing that attendance is compulsory.
It said failure to appear as scheduled could lead to disqualification from the recruitment process.
The latest stage comes about two years after the recruitment exercise opened in December 2024.
The prolonged process had attracted concerns among applicants, prompting the Customs management to apologise for the delay when it announced the final list in August.
Speaking at the announcement of the final list, Adeniyi said the Service had received an unusually high number of applications and subjected them to several stages of screening and verification.
He said, “A total of 3,852 candidates have been offered places across the three cadres of entry: 1,275 in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre. This is the final list, and it concludes the exercise that opened in December 2024.”
The Customs boss said the scale of the competition was particularly striking, noting that hundreds of thousands of applicants competed for fewer than 4,000 positions.
He stated, “The competition was severe. From 573,680 applications, 3,852 candidates were selected. That is an overall success rate of 0.67 per cent, or roughly one place for every 148 applicants.”
The competition was even tougher in some cadres.
The Superintendent Cadre received 276,995 applications for 1,275 positions, representing roughly one successful candidate for every 217 applicants.
The Inspectorate Cadre received 128,604 applications for 367 positions, or about one in 350, while the Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 places, representing about one in 76 applicants.
The Service had earlier opened a portal for successful candidates to update their information ahead of the final interview and physical screening.
Candidates were also required to upload medical certificates of fitness from government-recognised hospitals and accept their provisional offers of appointment.
With the physical screening and documentation now scheduled, candidates who complete the exercise will receive further instructions on the subsequent stages of the recruitment process.
The Customs Service also reiterated its warning against fraudsters who may attempt to exploit the recruitment exercise.
Adeniyi had stressed that recruitment into the Service was free and warned candidates against paying anyone in exchange for employment.
He stated, “No candidate has paid, and no candidate should pay, any person or group for a place on this list. Anyone who solicits payment on our behalf is a criminal, and should be reported to the Service and to the security agencies.”
The Comptroller-General also announced that the Service would move to an annual recruitment cycle, ending the previous practice of conducting recruitment irregularly.
He said, “Recruitment will no longer be an occasional event undertaken every several years. It will be a standing, predictable, yearly process.”
According to him, the 2026 recruitment exercise is expected to open later this year.
It is intended to be completed within one calendar year, from advertisement to the release of the final list.
The shift is expected to provide greater certainty for job seekers while enabling the Service to plan recruitment around projected retirements and manpower requirements.