A group known as Arewa Youths Advocate for Good Governance (AYAGG), has expressed concerns over the impending leadership vacuum that will be created in the Nigeria Customs Service with the announcement of retirement of a large number of Officers, calling for strategic Presidential intervention in the process.
The assertion was made by the National Coordinator of Arewa Youths Advocate for Good Governance (AYAGG), Comrade Adamu Muhammad Abdullahi, while addressing Journalists in Bauchi on Friday.
According to him, “We have invited you here today to address an issue of national importance that goes beyond personalities or appointments. It concerns the continuity of one of Nigeria’s most strategic institutions—the Nigeria Customs Service—and its role in sustaining the country’s economic stability, border security, and fiscal growth.”
He said that, “The Arewa Youths Advocate for Good Governance (AYAGG) has carefully monitored developments within the Nigeria Customs Service and is deeply concerned by the imminent retirement of a significant number of senior management officers within the same period. Our concern is informed by facts, not sentiment.”
“Nigeria is currently implementing far-reaching economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda. At such a delicate stage, institutions responsible for revenue generation, trade facilitation, and border management must enjoy stability, policy continuity, and experienced leadership,” he added.
Adamu Abdullahi stressed that, “The Nigeria Customs Service has evolved into one of the Federal Government’s strongest revenue-generating institutions. It is also at the forefront of combating smuggling, protecting Nigeria’s borders, facilitating legitimate trade, and supporting national security operations.”
According to him,”A simultaneous exit of several experienced management officers, without a carefully managed transition strategy, could create avoidable leadership gaps, disrupt institutional memory, slow ongoing modernization programmes, and affect operational efficiency at a time when Nigeria can least afford such uncertainty.”
He added that,”This is not merely an administrative issue—it is a national economic concern. For this reason, AYAGG respectfully calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to consider a strategic and lawful intervention that will preserve stability within the Nigeria Customs Service while ensuring that the remarkable gains recorded in recent years are not reversed.”
He opined that,”Such intervention may include adopting a phased leadership transition, preserving critical institutional expertise where legally permissible, and ensuring that succession planning is driven by national interest rather than administrative timelines alone.”
He however said that,”We are not advocating for individuals. We are advocating for institutional continuity. History has shown that reforms succeed when there is consistency in leadership, policy implementation, and operational direction. Nigeria cannot afford to interrupt the momentum already achieved in customs modernization, revenue expansion, digital transformation, and border security management.”
The group therefore urged the Presidency, the National Security establishment, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and other relevant stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the potential implications of a mass leadership transition within the Service before irreversible decisions are made.
He also emphasised that, “As patriotic Nigerians, we believe that governance is not only about enforcing regulations but also about making strategic decisions that protect national institutions and advance long-term national interests.”
We commend President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to institutional reforms and remain confident that his administration will continue to prioritize decisions that strengthen the nation’s economic architecture and security framework.”
He assured that AYAGG stands ready to support every initiative aimed at preserving the operational efficiency, professionalism, and strategic capacity of the Nigeria Customs Service in the interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He concluded that, “The stability of strategic institutions is the foundation of national development. Our appeal today is rooted in patriotism, guided by reason, and motivated solely by the overriding national interest.”
In the same vein, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been urged to extend the tenure of the current management team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in order to sustain the ongoing reforms and economic growth in the country.
The call was made by a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Khamis Musa Darazo, while speaking to Journalists in Bauchi.
He warned that the planned mass retirement of Senior Officers could create a leadership vacuum capable of disrupting ongoing reforms and weakening the nation’s revenue drive.
Speaking on the issue, Khamis Musa Darazo noted that virtually all members of the current Customs Management team are expected to retire by the end of the year, a development he described as a critical institutional challenge that requires urgent presidential intervention.
According to him, “The simultaneous exit of the entire leadership team could negatively affect policy continuity, institutional memory, operational efficiency, and the implementation of strategic reforms that have significantly enhanced Customs operations and revenue generation under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The member of the Renewed Hope Agenda, explained that the officers next in the line of succession are largely Deputy Comptrollers who may still require additional time and exposure to attain the level of experience traditionally associated with top management responsibilities within the Service.
“The Nigeria Customs Service occupies a strategic position in our national economic architecture. At a time when President Tinubu is pursuing bold economic reforms and strengthening non-oil revenue generation, preserving experienced leadership within the Service is vital to sustaining the gains already achieved,” he stated.
He further cautioned that any leadership vacuum created by the retirement of the current management team could open the door for external appointments into positions traditionally occupied by career customs officers.
While acknowledging that such appointments may be legally permissible, he emphasized that they could undermine the professionalism, institutional culture, and career progression structure painstakingly built within the Service over the years.
Khamis Musa Darazo stressed that career customs officers possess specialized operational knowledge and institutional experience that are critical to the effective administration of the Service and the realization of government revenue targets.
He also warned that bypassing experienced officers within the system could affect staff morale and reduce confidence in the Service’s established promotion and succession framework.
The Tinubu loyalist therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider a strategic service extension for members of the current management team as a transitional measure that would ensure continuity, stability, and orderly succession within the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to him, such a move would help sustain ongoing reforms, preserve institutional memory, strengthen operational effectiveness, provide adequate mentorship for the next generation of officers, and protect the long-term interests of the Service.
He maintained that the proposal is not intended to obstruct the career progression of younger officers but rather to create a structured transition that guarantees stability and protects one of Nigeria’s most important revenue-generating institutions.
He expressed confidence that President Tinubu’s commitment to institutional strengthening and good governance would guide the consideration of measures capable of safeguarding the future of the Nigeria Customs Service and advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
