The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has earned global recognition after its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, Customs Cares, clinched the prestigious Commonwealth Environment and CSR Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland.
The award, presented on Friday, July 31, 2026, celebrates organisations implementing measurable, sustainable and community-driven initiatives that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The NCS emerged as one of the top winners following the remarkable impact of its Customs Cares initiative in the areas of education, healthcare, food security and environmental sustainability across communities in Nigeria.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, described the recognition as a major milestone in the Service’s ongoing transformation.
“This award is both humbling and inspiring. It affirms our belief that public institutions create their greatest value not only by fulfilling their statutory mandates but by improving lives and strengthening the communities they serve,” Bomodi said.
Reacting to the honour, Comptroller-General Adeniyi attributed the international recognition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the Customs Cares initiative has positively impacted more than 10 million Nigerians across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, the programme has delivered school renovation projects, healthcare interventions, clean water facilities, food support and the Green Borders Initiative aimed at promoting environmental sustainability.
“Beyond every classroom renovated, every borehole commissioned and every tree planted is something even more enduring trust,” the Customs boss stated.
Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, Muthomi Njuki, stressed the importance of global partnerships in addressing climate change, saying no nation could tackle the challenge alone.
He emphasised that accountability, innovation, collaboration and shared responsibility remain critical to building a greener, safer and more prosperous world.
The Comptroller in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mbwiduffu Ibrahim, described the award as a morale booster for the Service, saying it validates years of dedication to improving the lives of Nigerians.
“For a long time, we worked believing that the impact in our communities was reward enough. Today, this international recognition tells us that those efforts have not gone unnoticed,” she said.
The organisers disclosed that the Nigeria Customs Service earned the Gold Award for its innovative Hub-and-Spoke Community Activation Model, describing it as a benchmark for impactful public sector CSR.
They noted that the recognition further reinforces the Nigeria Customs Service’s growing reputation as a modern customs administration committed not only to revenue generation, trade facilitation and border security but also to sustainable national development and community empowerment.
