Sunday Ehigiator
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has earned international recognition after its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, ‘Customs Cares’, won the Commonwealth Environment and CSR Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland.
The award, recently presented to the security body, recognises organisations implementing measurable, sustainable and community-driven initiatives that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the organisers, the NCS emerged as the winner for its innovative Hub-and-Spoke Community Activation Model, with Customs Cares distinguished for its impact in education, healthcare, food security and environmental sustainability across Nigeria.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, described the recognition as a significant 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.
Adeniyi attributed the achievement to the support of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting the Customs Cares initiative has positively impacted more than 10 million Nigerians across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said 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 Comptroller-General added.
Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Tharaka Nithi County in Kenya, Muthomi Njuki, stressed the importance of collaboration in tackling climate change.
He said no country could address the climate crisis in isolation, adding that accountability, partnerships, innovation and shared responsibility remained critical to building “a greener, safer and more prosperous world.”
The Comptroller in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mbwiduffu Ibrahim, said the international honour would encourage the Service to deepen its community development efforts.
“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 said the award 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 development and social impact through innovative community-focused initiatives.