NIGERIA: Customs Service Advances Recruitment, Sets CBT For September 14–21

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos Nigeria 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that the second phase of its ongoing recruitment exercise will hold from September 14 to 21, 2025.

This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 10, by Abdullahi Maiwada, Assistant Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs.

The Service explained that the recruitment, which began with an advertisement on December 27, 2024, declared 3,927 vacancies across the Superintendent, Inspectorate, and Customs Assistant cadres. It added that a total of 573,523 applications were received, out of which 286,697 candidates were shortlisted for the Computer-Based Test (CBT).

The statement read: “The second stage of the exercise, scheduled to take place from September 14th to 21st, 2025, will be conducted through an online Computer-Based Test (CBT), reflecting the Service’s commitment to transparency, accessibility, and fairness in the selection process.”

Candidates are required to take the test using a laptop or desktop with a webcam and full-screen display, as the platform is not mobile-enabled. The NCS further cautioned that the application is highly sensitive to movement and distractions.

“The CBT application is sensitive to noise and body movement. Accordingly, candidates must remain fully focused throughout the test’s duration, as excessive movement, whispering, or background distractions may result in automatic logout by the system,” the Service warned.

To assist applicants, the NCS disclosed that a mandatory pre-test exercise will take place two days before the actual CBT. Two separate links will be sent to shortlisted candidates, one for the pre-test and another for the main exam.

The Service also noted that applicants in the Superintendent Cadre (Level 8) will be required to undergo an additional CBT in the next phase, while Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres are exempted from this provision.

Reassuring applicants, the Customs Service said: “The Nigeria Customs Service assures all stakeholders that the ongoing recruitment process remains strictly merit-driven and transparent. Successful candidates will be duly informed of subsequent phases of the exercise through the Service’s official communication channels.”

The NCS cautioned candidates against relying on unauthorized platforms, stressing that it will “neither request any form of payment nor conduct recruitment activities on social media platforms.”