The Nigeria Customs Service has moved to the final stage of its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, with 3,852 shortlisted applicants invited for physical screening and documentation in Abuja.
The candidates are expected to report to the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, for the verification exercise, which will determine those who proceed further in the recruitment process.
The development was announced on Tuesday in a statement signed by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on behalf of the Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi.
Applicants were instructed to come along with both original and photocopies of their credentials, including their National Identification Number, birth certificate or declaration of age, academic certificates and certificate of state of origin.
They are also expected to present two recent passport photographs, a completed guarantor’s form and an NYSC certificate where applicable. The Service directed candidates to dress in white T-shirts, shorts and canvas shoes for the screening.
Customs stressed that shortlisted applicants must attend the exercise on the dates allocated to their states and cadres, warning that failure to do so could result in disqualification.
The recruitment exercise has drawn massive interest, with 573,680 people applying for just 3,852 positions, putting the overall selection rate at 0.67 per cent.
The successful candidates comprise 1,275 persons in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.
Speaking when the final list was announced, Adeniyi said the huge number of applications reflected the intense competition for the available positions.
According to him, the selection process was particularly difficult in some categories, with 276,995 applicants competing for 1,275 Superintendent positions, while 128,604 candidates sought 367 Inspectorate slots.
The Customs Assistant Cadre recorded 168,081 applications for 2,210 vacancies, making it the category with the largest number of available positions.
The recruitment exercise, which commenced in December 2024, had been delayed for an extended period before the final list was released in August 2026. The management subsequently apologised to applicants over the prolonged process.
Customs also cautioned successful applicants against individuals demanding money in exchange for employment, insisting that recruitment into the Service remained free.
Adeniyi said, “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 further announced a shift to annual recruitment, saying the Service would no longer wait several years before conducting fresh employment exercises.
He said the 2026 recruitment would commence later this year and was expected to be completed within 12 months, a move he said would help the Service address manpower needs while giving job seekers a more predictable recruitment timetable.