The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, have renewed efforts to strengthen institutional collaboration aimed at advancing research, improving infrastructure, and enhancing student development.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, gave the assurance on Tuesday at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, while receiving the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Hakeem Fawehinmi, and other principal officers during a courtesy visit.
Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service remained committed to revitalising its long-standing relationship with the institution formerly known as the University of Abuja, noting that previous attempts had been made to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding.
“I have a long institutional history with this university. During my tenure as Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, we made serious efforts to formalise a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding. We went very far in the process and were close to signing, but leadership changes on both sides affected the process,” he said.
The Customs boss recalled that the Service had previously supported the university through strategic interventions, including the donation of a 32-seater bus and the establishment of a fully equipped computer centre with nearly 100 workstations.
According to him, the interventions were part of deliberate efforts to build sustainable institutional partnerships and improve educational development.
Adeniyi assured the university management that the Service would carefully consider new areas of collaboration presented during the visit, particularly projects capable of delivering measurable impact on students and the learning environment.
“For us, beyond legacy, what matters most is impact. We understand the realities facing Nigerian universities, from transportation challenges to infrastructure gaps. Our interest is to support initiatives that will create a conducive learning environment and positively impact students,” he stated.
He added that the Service was open to implementing projects in phases where necessary, prioritising areas with the greatest immediate impact.
The CGC also stressed the importance of having a university in the Federal Capital Territory that reflects the status and identity of Nigeria’s capital city.
“It is important for us to have a university in Abuja that truly reflects the status of Nigeria’s capital. I am willing to work with you in that regard,” he added.
Earlier, Fawehinmi commended the leadership of the Customs Service under Adeniyi, describing the agency as one of the institutions supporting the Federal Government’s economic and governance reforms.
“We have come with the highest level of leadership of the university to congratulate you and appreciate the tremendous work being done by the Nigeria Customs Service under your leadership,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that the visit was also aimed at exploring strategic areas of partnership between the university and the Customs Service, particularly in transportation, ICT infrastructure, research facilities, and professional collaboration.
He noted that the university, with an undergraduate population of nearly 40,000 students, faced increasing operational and infrastructural demands as the only conventional public university in the Federal Capital Territory.
Fawehinmi also identified the university’s Centre for Defence and Migration Studies as a potential area of collaboration with the Customs Service in border management, migration studies, executive training, and national security research.
“We are ready to partner with the Nigeria Customs Service. The real beneficiaries of such collaboration will be young Nigerians who represent the future leadership of this country,” he said.
