The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts in Nigeria through the expedited clearance of relief items and targeted interventions for disaster-affected communities.
Adeniyi stated this in Abuja while speaking at the United Towns Agency for North-South Cooperation (UTA) International Humanitarian Award and Lecture, organised to commemorate the 2026 World Humanitarian Day.
The Customs boss was honoured with an International Humanitarian Award in recognition of his contributions to humanitarian causes and people-centred initiatives.
Speaking on the role of Customs in humanitarian response, Adeniyi said the Service had established procedures to facilitate the speedy clearance of humanitarian and relief consignments, ensuring that such items were not subjected to the same timelines applicable to ordinary imports.
“There are procedures which the Nigeria Customs Service and other Customs administrations in the world have put in place for speedy and expedited clearance of humanitarian and relief items, so that when they lie in a port, we do not subject them to the regular clearance time that other items are subjected to, and we implement that by all means,” he said.
He added that the Service had also introduced a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative through which humanitarian relief items are provided to communities affected by disasters.
“We have launched a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, under which we extend humanitarian relief items to affected communities in Nigeria, and we also support President Bola Tinubu’s agenda in providing education, water resources, clothing and other relief items to communities that are affected by disasters,” Adeniyi stated.
The CGC stressed the importance of institutional collaboration in responding effectively to humanitarian emergencies, noting that government agencies have an important role to play in supporting vulnerable communities.
Earlier, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, charged stakeholders to develop stronger systems capable of addressing the root causes of humanitarian crises.
She delivered the Vice President’s speech at the lecture, which was themed, “Breaking the Cycle: Achieving Lasting Solutions to Humanitarian Crises in Nigeria and Beyond.”
The Vice President emphasised the need for sustainable approaches to humanitarian challenges, beyond immediate emergency interventions, while calling for stronger collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
In her welcome address, UTA Nigeria Country President, Ambassador Abigail Amalaha, said the organisation was pleased to recognise individuals and institutions whose work reflected the values of humanity, compassion and service.
She said Adeniyi’s recognition underscored the growing importance of humanitarian interventions by institutions beyond the traditional humanitarian sector.
The event brought together government officials, humanitarian organisations and other stakeholders to deliberate on strategies for addressing humanitarian crises and promoting lasting solutions in Nigeria and beyond.
