Adeniyi’s Customs reforms gain global acclaim as ‘Customs Cares’ wins Commonwealth Gold

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has added another feather to its cap on the global stage after its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Customs Cares, clinched the prestigious Commonwealth Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland.

The award further cements the Service’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s most reform-oriented customs administrations.

The international honour, presented on Friday, July 31, 2026, recognises organisations whose programmes deliver measurable, sustainable and community-driven development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For the Nigeria Customs Service, the award represents not only recognition of its expanding social impact but also validation of an institutional transformation that increasingly extends beyond revenue collection and border enforcement to community development and nation-building.

The award comes at a time when the Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has continued to attract both national and international recognition for reforms that have repositioned Customs as a technology-driven, transparent and citizen-focused institution.

Within the last two years, the Service has recorded unprecedented revenue growth, accelerated digital transformation through the indigenous B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, strengthened anti-smuggling operations, deepened stakeholder engagement, expanded the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and intensified efforts to modernise cargo clearance under the National Single Window initiative.

While these reforms have significantly improved trade facilitation and revenue generation, Customs Cares has emerged as the humanitarian face of the Service’s transformation agenda.

Through the initiative, the NCS has invested in education, healthcare, food security, environmental sustainability and access to clean water, bringing direct relief to communities often overlooked by conventional development interventions.

According to the Service, the programme has positively impacted more than 10 million Nigerians across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, through the renovation of schools, construction of boreholes, medical outreach programmes, food distribution, environmental sanitation campaigns and the Green Borders Initiative, which promotes tree planting and climate resilience.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Comptroller-General, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, described the recognition as a defining moment in the evolution of the Nigeria Customs Service.

“This award is both humbling and inspiring. It affirms our belief that public institutions create their greatest value not only by fulfilling their statutory mandates, but by improving lives and strengthening the communities they serve,” Bomodi said.

For Comptroller-General Adeniyi, the award reflects the broader vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which encourages public institutions to complement governance through impactful social interventions.

According to him, the true legacy of Customs Cares lies not merely in physical infrastructure but in restoring public confidence.

“Beyond every classroom renovated, every borehole commissioned and every tree planted is something even more enduring—trust. This recognition belongs to every Customs officer whose commitment has helped improve lives across our communities,” Adeniyi stated.

The organisers of the Commonwealth Awards said the Nigeria Customs Service distinguished itself through its innovative Hub-and-Spoke Community Activation Model, which enables development projects to reach communities across different regions while ensuring sustainability and measurable outcomes.

They noted that the model has become an example of how government institutions can effectively combine public service delivery with community empowerment and environmental responsibility.

The recognition also drew commendation from global leaders attending the event.

Governor Muthomi Njuki of Kenya’s Tharaka Nithi County stressed that tackling global challenges such as climate change requires stronger partnerships and institutional accountability.

“No country can solve the climate crisis alone. Through accountability, innovation, partnership and shared responsibility, we can build a greener, safer and more prosperous world,” he said.

Also reflecting on the achievement, the Comptroller in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mbwiduffu Ibrahim, said the award would inspire the Service to expand its interventions.

“For a long time, we worked believing that the impact in our communities was reward enough. Today, this international recognition tells us our efforts have resonated beyond Nigeria and motivates us to do even more,” she said.

The latest honour adds to the growing list of milestones recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service under Adeniyi’s leadership, during which the organisation has increasingly embraced innovation, transparency and strategic partnerships while maintaining strong performance in its core mandates of revenue generation, trade facilitation and border security.

Some Industry observers who spoke with lol kiƙIndustry observers say the Commonwealth Gold Award demonstrates that modern customs administrations are no longer judged solely by the amount of revenue they collect or seizures they make, but also by how effectively they contribute to sustainable national development and improve the quality of life of the people they serve.

For the Nigeria Customs Service, the recognition marks another significant step in its ongoing transformation from a traditional border agency into a globally respected institution that combines efficient customs administration with meaningful social impact.