The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to witness a major turnover in its workforce over the next two years, with no fewer than 1,516 officers scheduled for statutory retirement between 2026 and 2027.
The retirements, which will affect personnel across all cadres of the service, include five Deputy Comptrollers-General (DCGs) and several Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs), according to official documents obtained from the Service's Human Resource and Development Department.
The retirement schedules were contained in two circulars signed by the Comptroller of Establishment, A.A. Bazuaye, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.
A breakdown of the retirement figures shows that 825 officers are due to leave the Service in 2026, while another 691 officers are expected to retire in 2027 in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Rules governing retirement after 35 years in service or attainment of 60 years of age.
The 2026 retirement list indicates that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre will record the highest number of exits with 285 officers, followed by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226 officers. Other affected categories include Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, Chief Customs Officer, Deputy Customs Officer, Assistant Customs Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs and several officers in senior management positions.
Among the senior officers slated for retirement in 2026 are five Deputy Comptrollers-General, including Omale, Nnadi, Chiroma, Adeola and Niagwan.
Similarly, the draft retirement list for 2027 shows that 691 officers will leave the Service, with Superintendents of Customs accounting for the largest number at 200 officers, followed closely by Deputy Superintendents of Customs with 193 officers.
The circulars directed all affected personnel to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave three months before their retirement dates in line with Public Service Rule 100238 and relevant Federal Government directives.
The Service also instructed officers to submit their retirement notices to the Comptroller-General of Customs and comply with all necessary disengagement procedures.
For officers listed in the 2027 retirement schedule, the Customs management provided an opportunity for corrections and complaints, directing that any observed errors or omissions be forwarded to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General, Human Resources and Development, on or before July 31, 2026.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, described the impending retirements as a routine exercise mandated by law, dismissing claims that the development was linked to succession plans within the Service.
According to him, the large number of officers retiring within the same period is largely a consequence of a prolonged recruitment gap that created a concentration of officers who joined the Service around the same time and subsequently rose through the ranks together.
He explained that many officers with service numbers in the 41000, 42000 and 43000 series have now reached retirement age or completed the statutory years of service, resulting in a significant wave of exits.
Abejide maintained that the retirements are purely statutory and not connected to reports surrounding the appointment of a new Comptroller-General of Customs.
The development comes shortly after President Bola Tinubu approved a final six-month extension of tenure for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
The extension, announced by the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, will keep Adeniyi in office until February 2027.
According to the Presidency, the additional tenure is intended to enable the Customs chief complete ongoing reforms, including the implementation of the National Single Window project and oversee an orderly leadership transition within the Service.
During the extension period, Adeniyi is expected to work with the Nigeria Customs Service Board on key personnel matters, including promotions and the retirement of officers who have reached the statutory limits of age and years of service.
The mass retirement exercise is expected to reshape the personnel structure of the Nigeria Customs Service and create opportunities for a new generation of officers to move into senior leadership positions.
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