By Muhammad Mamman
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has shortlisted 286,697 candidates to compete for just 3,927 job openings, after receiving more than half a million applications in its latest recruitment drive.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Service’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the shortlisted applicants emerged from a pool of 573,523 submissions following a rigorous screening exercise.
The next phase of the recruitment—an online Computer-Based Test (CBT)—will be held between 14 and 21 September 2025.
“The exercise reflects the Service’s commitment to transparency, accessibility, and fairness,” the statement read. Candidates will be able to take the test from any location with stable internet access, but only on laptops or desktops fitted with webcams. Mobile phones are not permitted.
The NCS warned that the CBT system is highly sensitive to noise, body movement and window-switching. Any suspicious behaviour—including background distractions or attempts to toggle between screens—may result in automatic disqualification.
To ease the process, a mandatory pre-test session will be conducted two days before the examination. Separate links for the trial run and the main CBT will be sent directly to all shortlisted candidates.
Applicants for the Superintendent Cadre (Level 8) will also sit an additional CBT in the following stage of recruitment, a requirement not applicable to the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.
Reassuring the public, the NCS stressed that the entire process remains merit-driven and transparent. It further cautioned candidates to rely solely on official communication channels for updates, warning that no fees will be collected and that recruitment activities will not be conducted on social media.
