By Peace Udugba
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, presented on Friday, July 31, 2026, recognises organisations that deliver measurable, sustainable and community-driven initiatives supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the organisers, the Customs Cares initiative distinguished itself through impactful interventions 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 major 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 also by improving lives and strengthening the communities they serve,” Bomodi said.
Adeniyi attributed the achievement to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the Customs Cares initiative has positively impacted more than 10 million Nigerians across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said the programme has delivered school renovation projects, healthcare interventions, clean water facilities, food support and the Green Borders Initiative.
“Beyond every classroom renovated, every borehole commissioned and every tree planted is something even more enduring—trust,” Adeniyi said.
Also speaking at the event, Muthomi Njuki, Governor of Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, emphasised the importance of global collaboration in tackling climate challenges.
“No country can solve the climate crisis alone. Through accountability, partnership, innovation and shared responsibility, the world can become greener, safer and more prosperous,” he said.
The Comptroller in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mbwiduffu Ibrahim, said the international recognition would inspire the Service to expand its community impact.
“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 noted that the Nigeria Customs Service received the award for its innovative Hub-and-Spoke Community Activation Model, adding that the recognition further strengthens the Service’s reputation as a modern customs administration committed to revenue generation, trade facilitation, border security and sustainable development.
