The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched Customs Cares, its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, aimed at driving transformative change in education, healthcare, and social infrastructure across Nigeria.
The official launch, held on March 20, 2025, at Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, saw the participation of top government officials, including the Ministers of Finance, Education, and Youth Development, alongside representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) while more than 1,300 students benefitted from the programme’s first phase, which sets the stage for long-term community development efforts.
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, who described Customs Cares as a strategic response to Nigeria’s pressing socio-economic challenges, also said it’s alialigned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Adeniyi, said the initiative focuses on six key pillars, starting with education and emphasized that the programme goes beyond donations but a long-term commitment to sustainable development.
To ensure widespread impact, he said the NCS will extend Customs Cares to all six Local Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adopting one school per council and implementing tailored interventions.
Minister of Finance, Wale Edun commended the Customs Service for integrating social impact into its mandate, calling Customs Cares a “game-changer” for national development while his counterpart Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa praised the initiative’s alignment with the administration’s educational reforms, urging collaboration with UBEC and NSSEC for maximum impact.
On his part, Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande lauded the NCS’s investment in youth empowerment, emphasizing its role in building a skilled and productive generation.
GSS Wuse Zone 3 Principal Josephine Ugwu expressed profound gratitude, calling the initiative a “historic moment” for the school.
The launch attracted key stakeholders, including WHO representatives, top Customs officials, and local community leaders, reinforcing the NCS’s vision of using its national presence to drive grassroots development.
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