Tinubu Extends Customs CG Adeniyi’s Tenure by Additional Six Months

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a six-month extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi.

The extension was announced in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday.

According to the statement, Adeniyi’s current tenure, which followed a one-year extension granted in July 2025 and was due to expire on August 1, 2026, has now been extended until February 2027.

The presidency said the additional six months would allow the Customs boss to consolidate ongoing reforms, particularly the implementation of the National Single Window project, while ensuring a smooth leadership transition within the service.

During the extension period, Adeniyi is expected to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to oversee the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and facilitate the retirement of personnel who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or completed 35 years of service.

Adeniyi joined the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s and steadily rose through the ranks. He became a Deputy Comptroller in 2012, Comptroller in 2017, Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020, and Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023.

President Tinubu appointed him as Acting Comptroller-General in June 2023 following the exit of his predecessor, Hameed Ali, before confirming him as the substantive Customs CG in October of the same year.

His original tenure was scheduled to end in August 2025 after completing 35 years of service, but the President granted a one-year extension that was expected to expire in August 2026.

Under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the President has the authority to appoint a career officer not below the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General as Comptroller-General. While the law does not specify a fixed tenure for the office, retirement remains subject to the Public Service Rules, which mandate retirement at 60 years of age or after 35 years of pensionable service.