Nigeria Customs Reveals Major Data on Final 2024/2025 Recruitment List
- The Nigerian Customs Service announced that only 3,852 candidates were picked from 573,680 applications across three cadres in its 2025 recruitment exercise
- Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi apologised for the delay and confirmed all 36 states and the FCT made the final list
- Adeniyi warned that NCS recruitment is free and urged candidates to report anyone demanding payment for a place
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FCT, Abuja - The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has published the final list of successful candidates from its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, confirming that just 3,852 applicants secured places out of 573,680 who applied, a success rate of roughly 0.67 per cent, or one slot for every 148 applicants.
As reported on Tuesday, August 4, by Channels TV, Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi made the announcement at a press briefing, breaking down the selections across three cadres: 1,275 in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.
Source: Facebook
Daily Trust also noted the update from the NCS.
The Superintendent Cadre drew 276,995 applications for 1,275 places, a ratio of one in 217. The Inspectorate Cadre was the most competitive, with 128,604 applications for just 367 slots, a ratio of one in 350. The Customs Assistant Cadre had 168,081 applicants for 2,210 openings, a ratio of one in 76.
Why did Customs list take so long?
Adeniyi acknowledged the delay and attributed it to the sheer volume of applications, a high rate of retirements among senior staff during the same period, and the rigorous verification process the Service insisted on. Each candidate passed through application screening, a computer-based examination, and credential checks against the national identity database.
He said:
"That is the honest reason this list is issued in August rather than in March."
Successful candidates will still undergo physical and medical assessments before a final review at Board level.
Nigeria Customs shares recruitment breakdown
The NCS said every state received an equal number of places: 35 in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre, and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre (105 slots per state). The Federal Capital Territory received 72 places under a separate formula. Differences between geopolitical zones reflect only the number of states each contains, with the North West receiving 735 slots, the North Central 702, the North East, South South and South West each getting 630, and the South East 525.
Of the 3,852 selected candidates, 839 are women, representing 21.8 per cent of the intake. Adeniyi noted that women applied at a rate of 21.2 per cent, meaning their share of successful placements slightly exceeded their share of applications. The median age of those selected is 26 years, with close to three-quarters of the intake under 30.
Adeniyi urged the more than 560,000 unsuccessful applicants not to lose hope, saying many of them met every requirement set by the Service.
"You were not rejected; you were unlucky in a field of extraordinary competition," he said, adding that NCS plans to conduct recruitment annually, with the next exercise expected to begin before the end of 2026.
He also repeated a firm warning:
"Recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service is 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."
Legit.ng understands that successful candidates will be contacted through the details they provided during their applications and are advised to monitor only the official channels of the Service.
Source: Facebook
How to check Customs recruitment list
Meanwhile, the NCS has outlined the steps applicants should follow to check the final list of successful candidates in its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise.
Applicants who participated in the exercise are expected to visit the official NCS website and open the latest announcement on the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise.
Candidates should then search the published list to confirm whether their names appear among the successful applicants.
The Service also advised candidates to monitor the email address and phone number used during registration, as successful applicants will receive additional instructions through email and SMS.
Nigeria Customs to begin yearly recruitment
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigeria Customs Service announced a major shift in its recruitment policy, declaring that future recruitment exercises will be conducted annually instead of at irregular intervals.
The Customs explained that the decision was part of efforts to create a predictable manpower planning system that would enable the service to replace retiring officers promptly while giving young Nigerians regular opportunities to join the organisation.
Source: Legit.ng
