The Nigeria Customs Service has invited 3,852 successful applicants for the final physical screening and documentation stage of its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise in Abuja.
The exercise will be held at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, where shortlisted candidates are expected to undergo verification and other requirements before proceeding to the next stage of the recruitment process.
The invitation was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.
The Service directed candidates to appear with the original and photocopies of their National Identification Number, birth certificate or declaration of age, educational certificates and certificate of state of origin.
Other required documents include two recent passport photographs, a completed guarantor’s form and an NYSC certificate where applicable. Candidates were also instructed to attend the exercise in white T-shirts, shorts and canvas shoes.
Customs warned that attendance would be compulsory and that candidates must report on the dates assigned to their respective states and cadres.
“Failure to appear as scheduled may lead to disqualification from the recruitment process,” the Service warned.
The recruitment exercise has attracted intense competition, with 573,680 applications received for only 3,852 available positions, translating to a success rate of 0.67 per cent.
The successful applicants comprise 1,275 candidates for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.
Adeniyi described the recruitment as one of the most competitive in the history of the Service, noting that the number of applicants far exceeded the available vacancies.
“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,” he said.
The recruitment process began in December 2024 and was delayed for nearly two years before the Service released the final list in August 2026. The prolonged process had generated concerns among applicants, prompting Customs management to apologise for the delay.
The Service had earlier asked shortlisted candidates to update their information, upload medical certificates of fitness from government-recognised hospitals and accept their provisional offers of appointment.
Meanwhile, the Customs boss warned applicants against fraudsters seeking to exploit the recruitment exercise, stressing that employment into the Service was free.
“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,” Adeniyi said.
He also disclosed that Customs would henceforth conduct recruitment annually, saying the new approach would allow the Service to plan its manpower needs more effectively and give prospective applicants greater certainty.
The 2026 recruitment exercise is expected to commence later this year and is projected to run from advertisement to the release of the final list within one calendar year.
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