By MARTHA AGAS

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the final phase of its recruitment screening, with shortlisted candidates undergoing documentation, physical fitness assessments and medical screening.

The NCS Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, who made this known on Thursday, said that the screening was holding at service’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Gwagwalada, Abuja.

Maiwada said the two-week exercise, which commenced on Monday, would run through September 19 and cover shortlisted applicants for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASCII), Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.

He said candidates were being screened in batches, arranged alphabetically according to their states of origin, to prevent congestion and ensure an orderly exercise.

Addressing the candidates, Frank Onyeka, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, said the service was evaluating character and professional conduct alongside physical fitness.

Onyeka congratulated the candidates for reaching the stage and urged them to adhere to the guidelines of the exercise.

“On behalf of the NCS Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, I congratulate you on reaching this stage.

“I urge you to remain orderly and strictly adhere to the guidelines.

Beyond physical requirements, your attitude, discipline, and conduct are critical factors in deciding who ultimately joins the service,” he said.

He said the NCS was working closely with the Customs Police and other relevant units within the service to safeguard the integrity of the process.

Also speaking, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Dow Gaura, Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, said administrative innovations and inter-agency collaboration had streamlined the exercise.

Gaura said all the activities of the recruitment exercise reflected the policy vision of the Comptroller-General, which emphasised continuous operational improvement, collaboration and innovation.

“The process has been seamless, hitch-free and conducted without any casualties,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that screening for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC) cadre ended on Thursday, while evaluations for the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres would continue until September 19.

The NCS had announced an annual recruitment cycle and released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise on August 4.

The exercise received 573,680 applications for 3,852 positions, with 1,275 candidates selected for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre. (NAN)

•PHOTO: Successful candidates of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) 2024/2025 recruitment exercise at its training institute in Gwagwalada for the final screening exercise on Thursday.