Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, ending an eight-month selection process that attracted over 573,000 applications nationwide.

Announcing the results in a press statement yesterday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adeniyi, said the successful candidates comprised 1,275 officers in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.

Adeniyi also announced that the 2026 recruitment exercise is scheduled to commence later this year and conclude within a single calendar year, while the Service would now conduct recruitment yearly.

Adeniyi said the Service received 573,680 applications for only 3,852 available positions, requiring each application to undergo multiple stages of screening, including computer-based examinations and verification of credentials against the national identity database.

The Customs boss described the recruitment as one of the most competitive exercises conducted by the Service, with an overall success rate of just 0.67 per cent, translating to one successful applicant for every 148 candidates.

According to him, the Superintendent Cadre recorded 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, representing one successful candidate for every 217 applicants, while the Inspectorate Cadre emerged as the most competitive with 128,604 applications for only 367 positions, equivalent to one successful candidate for every 350 applicants.

He said the Customs Assistant Cadre attracted 168,081 applications for 2,210 vacancies, representing one successful candidate for every 76 applicants.

The Customs boss apologised to applicants and their families for the prolonged recruitment process, attributing the delay to the unprecedented number of applications, extensive verification procedures and a high rate of retirements among senior officers.