Customs plans to reach 50,000 students with learning materials under its CSR initiative

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has unveiled an ambitious Corporate Social Responsibility drive, promising to provide educational support to 50,000 students across the country in 2025. The initiative—branded “Customs Cares”—was publicly launched during the commissioning of a renovated primary and nursery school in Ajeromi‑Ifelodun, Lagos, and forms part of a broader effort to reach 10 million Nigerians through education, health, youth empowerment, creative economy, water access, and ICT interventions.

During the Ajeromi‑Ifelodun event, the Comptroller‑General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted that the Lagos Tin Can Island Port Command had already delivered school supplies to roughly 10,000 pupils, including 5,000 in Lagos alone and 2,000 at the newly adopted Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School. School renovation works included upgraded classrooms, fresh infrastructure, and basic learning facilities, with educational materials such as notebooks, writing kits, school bags, uniforms, and raincoats distributed to students.

To further bolster the project, the Customs boss announced plans to roll out educational support across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The target for 2025 is to reach 50,000 students with essential learning materials and refurbishments, complemented by scholarships, ICT infrastructure, CCTV installations, solar lighting, and sporting facilities where appropriate. Adeniyi explained that school selection would be guided by field assessments and local need, with priority given to underserved communities.

NCS officials explained that this outreach was just one part of the larger aim to positively impact lives in key areas of community development. The Customs Cares programme already covered health clinics, youth centres, and creative-sector interventions in selected communities. For education, the focus remains on establishing long-term partnerships—each school adopted under the programme would receive ongoing support, not just one-off aid.

At the school commissioning, regional leaders and community stakeholders lauded the initiative. Residents noted that the school adoption was unprecedented in the area and commended the Customs for its transformative engagement with host communities. Lagos State education authorities and local representatives also voiced support, acknowledging that the intervention complemented state education investments and offered renewed hope for students facing infrastructural challenges.

The impact of the initiative is intended to reach far beyond direct recipients. By supplying materials and improving facilities, the programme aims to enhance learning outcomes, encourage school attendance, and ease financial burdens on families. It is structured to align with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in universal basic education and youth empowerment.

Customs Cares is funded through a combination of institutional allocations and officer contributions; management officials have pledged a percentage of salaries to sustain the programmes. The Abuja-based CSR unit is coordinating with commands in all regions to ensure equitable coverage, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where educational resources are sparse.

Throughout 2025, the NCS expects to extend the scheme into states such as Cross River, Rivers, Kebbi, and Katsina—where learning material donations and school repairs have already begun under smaller pilot efforts. In Kebbi, over 1,700 students received books, pens, and food supplies; in Katsina, pupils were also furnished with whiteboards and received medical visits alongside learning materials distribution.

Observers believe that Customs’ educational initiative may set a new benchmark for how national agencies engage host communities. Rather than relying solely on enforcement or regulation, the NCS has reframed its social mandate by investing meaningfully in local schools and students—an approach that both humanizes the service and strengthens public trust.

As the effort scales up, stakeholders note the importance of sustained follow-through. Maintaining renovations, replacing materials, and tracking educational metrics will be critical if the programme is to yield long-term benefits beyond goodwill. Officials promise periodic visits, progress reviews, and reinvestment plans to ensure each adopted school continues to thrive under sustained partnership.

If Customs ultimately reaches its goal of equipping 50,000 students in 2025, the initiative would mark one of the NCS’s most expansive community engagements to date. More importantly, it underscores a shift in narrative—where the customs service positions itself not only as a regulator but also as an institution committed to human capital development and national advancement.

By investing in schools and students across Nigeria’s diverse regions, Customs Cares may well become a model for CSR-led educational inclusion, serving as a template for other agencies seeking to merge mandate delivery with meaningful social impact.