Major Shake-up Looms As 1,516 Senior Officers Set To Retire From Nigeria Customs
No fewer than 1,516 senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are expected to retire from the service over the next two years following the release of statutory retirement lists for 2026 and 2027.
The retirement schedule, contained in two restricted circulars issued by the Service's Human Resource and Development Department, indicates that 825 officers will leave the service in 2026, while another 691 officers are due for retirement in 2027.
The circulars were signed by the Comptroller of Establishment, A.A. Bazuaye, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.
The documents show that officers across virtually all cadres of the Service—from the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General to Customs Assistant II—will exit the organisation in line with statutory retirement provisions.
The first circular, No. HRD/2025/048 dated September 19, 2025, contains what the Service described as the final list of officers due for retirement in 2026.
A breakdown of the list revealed that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre accounts for the highest number of retirees, with 285 officers, followed by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226 officers.
Other categories affected include 64 Assistant Superintendents of Customs I, 61 Chief Superintendents of Customs, 53 Chief Customs Officers, 51 Deputy Customs Officers, 46 Assistant Customs Officers, 13 Assistant Comptrollers-General, five Deputy Comptrollers-General, 10 Assistant Superintendents of Customs II, eight Inspectors of Customs, one Customs Assistant I and two Customs Assistants II.
Similarly, Circular No. HRD/2026/020 dated May 26, 2026, conveyed a draft list of 691 officers expected to retire in 2027.
The document shows that the Superintendent of Customs cadre will record the highest number of retirements with 200 officers, followed by the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre with 193 officers.
Also scheduled to retire in 2027 are 81 Deputy Customs Officers, 68 Chief Superintendents of Customs, 57 Assistant Customs Officers, 39 Assistant Superintendents of Customs I, 38 Chief Customs Officers, four Assistant Superintendents of Customs II, four Customs Assistant I officers, four Customs Assistant II officers, two Inspectors of Customs and four Assistant Comptrollers-General.
In both circulars, the Service directed the affected officers to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave in accordance with Public Service Rule 100238 and Federal Government Circular No. 63216/S.I/X/T; CR 1/2001/5 of March 20, 2001.
The circulars stated: "I am directed to forward the attached list on the above subject matter as retirement notice to all affected personnel. In accordance with the Public Service Rule (PSR) No. 100238 and Federal Government Circular No.63216/S.I/X/T; CR 1/2001/5 of 20/03/2001, all affected officers due for retirement are to disengage from the active service and proceed on pre-retirement leave, three months prior to their effective date of retirement."
The affected officers were also instructed to forward their three-month pre-retirement notices to the Comptroller-General of Customs.
The 2027 circular further provided an avenue for corrections and complaints, directing that "any observed error, omission or legitimate complaints arising from the attached list should be forwarded to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General (HRD) on or before 31 July 2026."
To ensure adequate dissemination of the notices, Zonal Coordinators, Area Controllers and Unit Heads were directed to circulate the retirement lists to all affected officers.
Among the senior officers affected by the exercise are Deputy Comptrollers-General Omale, Nnadi, Chiroma, Adeola and Niagwan, as well as several Assistant Comptrollers-General, including Egwuh, Umoh, Mohammed, Abe, Olomu, Olaniyan, Yusuf, Oladeji, Gaji, Adebakin, Bomodi, Nyam and Abubakar.
Reacting to reports linking the impending retirements to the appointment of a new Comptroller-General of Customs, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, dismissed such claims, insisting that the retirements are purely statutory.
"The Civil Service Rules are very clear. Retirement after 35 years in service or at the age of 60 is not by compulsion; it is by law. Therefore, suggestions that any officer would be retired to create room for another appointment are false and misleading," he said.
According to the lawmaker, the unusually high number of officers retiring within the same period is largely due to a prolonged recruitment gap within the Service.
"There is a 16-year gap of non-recruitment and stagnant promotion. As a result, officers of 41000, 42000 and 43000 service numbers categories have risen through the ranks almost simultaneously and now occupy similar levels of seniority," Abejide explained.
He noted that the development had created a top-heavy structure within the Nigeria Customs Service, resulting in many officers reaching retirement age or completing their years of service at roughly the same time.
Abejide stressed that the retirement of more than 1,500 officers is a natural consequence of the provisions of Public Service Rule 100238 and should not be interpreted as being connected to any succession plan for the office of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
He added that the exercise is a legally mandated process aimed at ensuring compliance with civil service regulations and maintaining orderly career progression within the Service.