The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has entered the decisive final phase of its 2025 recruitment exercise, warning shortlisted candidates that discipline, character and professional conduct will count as much as physical fitness in determining who earns a place in the Service.
The two-week final screening exercise, which began on Monday, September 7, 2026, is taking place at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Gwagwalada, Abuja, with shortlisted applicants subjected to documentation checks, physical fitness assessments and medical screening.
The exercise covers candidates shortlisted for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASCII), Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres and will run until September 19.
To maintain order and prevent overcrowding at the screening centre, the Nigeria Customs Service said candidates are being processed in batches according to the alphabetical order of their states of origin.
Customs Raises The Bar
Addressing candidates at the screening centre, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, made it clear that passing the physical tests alone would not guarantee recruitment.
Onyeka, speaking on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, congratulated candidates for reaching the final stage but charged them to demonstrate the discipline and conduct expected of officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Beyond physical requirements, your attitude, discipline, and conduct are critical factors in deciding who ultimately joins the Service,” he warned.
He urged candidates to remain orderly and strictly comply with all screening guidelines, stressing that the Service was determined to maintain the integrity of the recruitment process.
Onyeka further disclosed that the NCS was working closely with the Customs Police and other relevant units to strengthen security and safeguard the credibility of the exercise.
‘Seamless And Hitch-Free’
The Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Dow Gaura, said administrative innovations and stronger inter-agency collaboration had helped to streamline the screening exercise.
Gaura said the smooth conduct of the exercise reflected the operational vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, particularly the emphasis on continuous improvement, collaboration and innovation.
“The process has been seamless, hitch-free, and conducted without any casualties,” he said.
The screening for candidates in the Assistant Superintendent of Customs cadre is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, September 10, while screening for the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres will continue through September 19.
With the recruitment process now at its final hurdle, the message from the Customs hierarchy is unmistakable: the Service is not merely looking for physically fit recruits, but disciplined and professionally minded officers capable of carrying the weight of the Customs uniform.
