Tinubu grants Customs Boss Adeniyi 6-month tenure extension

President Bola Tinubu has approved a final six-month tenure extension for the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, allowing him to remain in office until February 2027.

The Presidency announced the extension in a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, Adeniyi’s previous tenure extension was due to expire on August 1, 2026, but President Tinubu approved an additional six months to enable him consolidate key reforms within the Customs Service and ensure a smooth leadership transition.

The Presidency said the extension would allow the Customs boss to complete the implementation of the National Single Window initiative, a major trade facilitation programme designed to streamline import and export processes, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and enhance revenue generation.

“The six-month extension, which will expire in February 2027, is to enable him to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window and ensure an orderly succession in the service,” the statement said.

During the transition period, Adeniyi is expected to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to oversee the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and facilitate the mandatory retirement of officers who have attained the age of 60 years or completed 35 years in service.

The move is also aimed at ensuring stability within the service while maintaining operational efficiency and continuity in ongoing reforms.

Adeniyi, a seasoned customs officer and public relations expert, joined the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s.

Over the years, he rose steadily through the ranks of the service. He was promoted to Deputy Comptroller in 2012, Comptroller in 2017, and Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020.

In January 2023, he was appointed Acting Deputy Comptroller-General before President Tinubu named him Comptroller-General of Customs in June 2023.

Since assuming office, Adeniyi has spearheaded a number of reforms aimed at modernising customs operations, enhancing revenue collection, strengthening border management and improving trade facilitation across the country.

The latest extension underscores the administration’s confidence in his leadership and its commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms within the Nigeria Customs Service.

The extension is expected to provide the Customs Service with sufficient time to complete critical institutional processes and prepare for a seamless transition to a new leadership at the expiration of Adeniyi’s tenure in February 2027.