Abuja: The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commended its female personnel for their resilience in carrying out their duties to advance the organisation’s constitutional mandate. The Comptroller-General (C-G) of NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, gave the commendation while speaking at an event organised by the service to celebrate the female personnel at the NCS’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, NCS’s female personnel from across the country, invited for a parade, were instead honoured for their outstanding contributions to the service. Adeniyi stated that the female personnel had shown consistent diligence, efficiency, and dedication, which the service celebrated to mark International Women’s Day (IWD).
‘I know that you did not come here expecting this. This is exactly the point, you are not supposed to see this coming, because too often recognition comes only when it is convenient, scheduled and when it fits neatly in a calendar,’ Adeniyi remarked. He noted that the month of March was set aside to celebrate women, and the NCS chose to honour them with the theme ‘Customs Celebrates You’.
He emphasized the central role of female personnel in the service’s operations, noting their involvement at the frontline in ports and border stations, handling documentation for trade facilitation, and contributing in the boardroom where policies are shaped. Adeniyi, who also serves as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), highlighted that the global customs community recognizes gender inclusivity as crucial to any institutional structure.
He asserted that organisations that genuinely include and empower women perform better and serve their communities more effectively, with the results being evident in their impact. Adeniyi assured that the NCS was committed to creating an institution where a woman’s talent, dedication, and ambition determine her progress, and although the service had not yet reached that level, it was working toward it through various policies and opportunities.
The efforts, skills, and expertise of the female personnel are acknowledged through the responsibilities they are given, as well as their postings and assignments. Responding on behalf of NCS female personnel, Caroline Niagwan, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, expressed gratitude to the C-G for the recognition. Niagwan acknowledged the visionary leadership of the C-G and his consistent support for gender inclusion within the service.
She noted that the event not only celebrated women but also reinforced the values of service, sacrifice, and shared progress. Niagwan stated that the female personnel embody the spirit of “Give to Gain,” the theme of International Women’s Day. She pointed out that their expertise and dedication to duty had earned them respect and fostered leadership opportunities aimed at advancing the service.
The NCS official thanked their male counterparts and partners of the organisation for celebrating them, demonstrating a collective commitment to building a more inclusive service. ‘As we leave here today, may we continue to invest in one another, support the growth of women in the service, and foster an environment where every officer will have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully in the service regardless of gender,’ she concluded.