The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), has launched a Green Border Initiative alongside a medical outreach and women’s empowerment scheme aimed at improving the welfare of border communities and promoting environmental sustainability.
The programmes: Customs Cares Medical Outreach, the Empowerment Programme and the Green Border Initiative, held on Tuesday at the Seme Command, targeted more than 1,000 residents.
The event featured a free medical outreach, a tree-planting campaign and an empowerment drive that provided 10 industrial sewing machines, 10 grinding machines, 10 industrial gas burners with cylinders and N50,000 start-up support for each beneficiary at the border communities.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Assistant Comptroller-General Muhammed Babandede, said border communities have long faced serious environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change. He also noted the link between environmental decline and insecurity, urging the public to embrace tree planting, environmental protection and sustainable practices nationwide.
According to him, “The insecurity we face in this country is partly due to climate change. When trees are cut down, herders move from the Northern region to the South or to the Middle Belt, causing friction. This initiative should extend beyond the borders so everyone understands the importance of protecting our environment.”
Adeniyi assured host communities that Customs leadership remains committed to their welfare, adding that the programmes in Badagry marked the beginning of broader engagements to improve living conditions for border residents.
The President of COWA, Mrs Kikelomo Adeniyi, said border communities had suffered years of neglect, ranging from inadequate facilities to environmental pollution, noting that the initiative was designed to reverse this trend.
“We are not just restoring the ecosystem, we are also empowering our women and youth to turn waste into wealth. We are going global and international with this vision because empowerment must go beyond borders,” she said.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Command, Adewale Adenuga, said the initiative aligned with the Comptroller-General’s mandate by addressing welfare needs and pressing community challenges, especially healthcare. He explained that the outreach aimed to reach at least 1,000 beneficiaries, offering laboratory tests, medications and free eye-care services.
Adenuga also commended individuals and partners who donated N2 million to support widows and young entrepreneurs, stating that 10 widows of Customs officers will receive N200,000 each.
