By Peace Udugba
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commissioned the rehabilitated Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre in Eleme, Rivers State, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Customs Cares.
The intervention is aimed at improving access to quality healthcare and supporting the social development of communities where the Service operates.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the project demonstrated the NCS’s commitment to contributing to the wellbeing of communities beyond its statutory responsibilities of revenue collection, trade facilitation and border security.
Adeniyi recalled that the NCS officially launched its Customs Cares CSR programme in March 2025, noting that the initiative had supported various interventions, including school renovations, scholarships, medical outreaches, healthcare facility rehabilitation, food distribution, agricultural initiatives, skills acquisition, solar-powered lighting and borehole projects.
He said the Ebubu healthcare project was particularly significant because access to healthcare remained fundamental to human dignity, productivity and community development.
According to him, the poor condition of the facility before the intervention had affected the delivery of primary healthcare services to residents of Ebubu and surrounding communities.
“What we have achieved here is therefore more than physical rehabilitation. We have invested in access, dignity and hope,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss, however, stressed that the rehabilitation would only achieve its intended purpose if the facility was properly managed and maintained.
He said its sustainability would require adequate staffing, regular maintenance and continued support from relevant government institutions and the community.
Adeniyi commended the traditional rulers, community leaders, Rivers State Government, Rivers State Primary Health Care Board, Eleme Local Government Council, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the project.
Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, said the impact of the Service should not be measured solely by revenue figures and enforcement statistics.
He said Customs should also be assessed by the positive difference its presence makes in the communities where it operates.
The Comptroller in charge of the Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, Patience Ibrahim, said the initiative reflected the Service’s belief that its responsibility to Nigerians extended beyond revenue collection to making a meaningful difference in the communities it serves.
Dignitaries at the ceremony commended the intervention, saying the rehabilitated healthcare centre would bring quality primary healthcare services closer to residents.
They also urged the community and relevant stakeholders to take ownership of the facility and ensure its proper maintenance for the benefit of present and future generations.
