By Gabriel Atumeyi
The Nigeria Customs Service has officially released the schedule for the physical screening and documentation of candidates who made the final shortlist in the ongoing 2026 recruitment exercise.
The service has also directed all successful applicants to report to the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja, for the mandatory exercise.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Service’s National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, all shortlisted candidates are expected to present themselves on the specific dates assigned to their respective states and cadres, with attendance being strictly compulsory as any absence will result in automatic disqualification from the process.
The NCS further outlined a comprehensive list of documents that candidates must bring along, including their National Identification Number, original birth certificate or declaration of age, educational qualifications ranging from O’Level certificates to degrees, a certificate of state of origin, two recent passport photographs, a completed guarantor’s form, and the National Youth Service Corps certificate for those to whom it applies.
The Service also specified a dress code for the exercise, requiring all candidates to appear in white T-shirts, shorts, and canvas shoes, underscoring the regimented nature of the screening process.
This physical documentation stage marks a significant milestone in what has been an exceptionally competitive recruitment drive, with the Service having received a staggering 573,680 applications from which only 3,852 candidates emerged successful, translating to a mere 0.67 percent success rate.
When the final list was unveiled in August, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi disclosed that the selected candidates comprised 1,275 officers for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre, reflecting the immense demand for positions within the Service.
The recruitment process, which commenced in December 2024, has stretched over nearly two years to arrive at this stage, largely due to the sheer volume of applications and the Service’s commitment to maintaining a thorough and transparent selection mechanism.
The NCS management, led by Adeniyi, has reassured candidates and the broader public that the entire exercise will be conducted with fairness and merit as the guiding principles, urging all applicants to rely exclusively on official NCS communication channels for accurate information and to be wary of unauthorised sources peddling misleading updates.
Following the successful completion of the physical screening and documentation, candidates will receive further directives from the Service regarding the subsequent phases of the recruitment process, bringing them a step closer to joining the ranks of the nation’s premier border management agency.
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