Tinubu Extends Customs Boss Adewale Adeniyi’s Tenure, Gives Reasons

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a final six-month tenure extension for the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, a move aimed at consolidating ongoing reforms within the service and ensuring a seamless transition in its leadership.

The extension, announced in a State House statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, will take effect upon the expiration of Adeniyi’s current tenure and run until February 2027.

According to the Presidency, the decision was informed by the need to sustain the implementation of the National Single Window initiative, a major government reform programme designed to enhance trade facilitation, improve revenue generation, and streamline cargo clearance processes across Nigeria’s ports and borders.

The statement noted that Adeniyi’s first tenure extension was originally scheduled to expire on August 1, 2026, but the additional six months would allow him to complete critical aspects of the reform agenda and oversee an orderly succession process within the Customs Service.

“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 Presidency stated.

During the transition period, Adeniyi is expected to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to carry out key administrative and personnel reforms, including the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and the retirement of officers who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or completed 35 years in service.

The Presidency expressed confidence that the extension would provide the stability required to conclude ongoing institutional reforms and strengthen the operational efficiency of the Customs Service.

Adeniyi, a seasoned customs officer and public administrator, has spent more than three decades in the service. A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, he joined the Nigeria Customs Service in the late 1980s and steadily rose through the ranks.

His career progression saw him attain the rank of Deputy Comptroller in 2012, Comptroller in 2017, Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020, and Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023.

President Tinubu appointed him Comptroller-General of Customs in June 2023, entrusting him with the responsibility of leading one of the country’s most strategic revenue-generating agencies.

Since assuming office, Adeniyi has been credited with driving reforms aimed at modernising customs operations, improving revenue collection, strengthening border security, and facilitating legitimate trade.

It’s believed that the latest tenure extension underscores the administration’s determination to maintain continuity in the implementation of key economic and trade reforms while preparing the ground for a smooth leadership transition within the Nigeria Customs Service.

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