The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to witness one of its largest personnel transitions in recent years, with a total of 1,516 officers expected to leave the Service over the next two years following the release of statutory retirement lists for 2026 and 2027.
The retirement exercise, which affects officers across virtually all cadres of the Service, was disclosed in two restricted circulars issued by the Human Resource and Development Department and signed by Comptroller A.A. Bazuaye on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.
According to the documents, 825 officers are scheduled for retirement in 2026, while another 691 officers will exit the Service in 2027 in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules governing retirement after 35 years of service or upon attaining the age of 60.
The development comes amid ongoing reforms within the Customs Service and follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a six-month extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, until February 2027.
The first circular, identified as HRD/2025/048 and dated September 19, 2025, contains the final list of officers due for statutory retirement in 2026.
Analysis of the list shows that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre records the highest number of retirements with 285 officers, followed closely by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226 officers.
Other categories affected include Chief Superintendent of Customs with 61 officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs I with 64 officers, Chief Customs Officer with 53 officers, Deputy Customs Officer with 51 officers, Assistant Customs Officer with 46 officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs II with 10 officers and Inspector of Customs with eight officers.
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At the senior management level, the list includes 13 Assistant Comptrollers-General and five Deputy Comptrollers-General who are expected to leave the Service in 2026.
A second circular, HRD/2026/020 dated May 26, 2026, forwarded a draft list of 691 officers scheduled for retirement in 2027.
The document indicates that the Superintendent of Customs cadre will account for the largest number of exits with 200 officers, followed by the Deputy Superintendent cadre with 193 officers.
Other affected cadres include Deputy Customs Officers with 81 officers, Chief Superintendents with 68 officers, Assistant Customs Officers with 57 officers, Assistant Superintendents I with 39 officers, Chief Customs Officers with 38 officers and four Assistant Comptrollers-General.
The Service directed all affected officers to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave three months before their effective retirement dates in accordance with Public Service Rule 100238 and relevant Federal Government circulars.
The circulars instructed officers to submit their retirement notices to the Comptroller-General of Customs and complete all necessary disengagement procedures before their exit dates.
The 2027 retirement notice also provided an opportunity for officers to report any errors or omissions in the draft list, with complaints expected to be submitted to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General, Human Resources and Development, on or before July 31, 2026.
Among senior officers affected by the retirement exercise are several Deputy Comptrollers-General and Assistant Comptrollers-General who have reached either the statutory age limit or the required years of service.
The retirement list includes Deputy Comptrollers-General Omale, Nnadi, Chiroma, Adeola and Niagwan, as well as Assistant Comptrollers-General Egwuh, Umoh, Mohammed, Abe, Olomu, Olaniyan, Yusuf, Oladeji, Gaji, Adebakin, Bomodi, Nyam and Abubakar, among others.
Customs authorities have directed Zonal Coordinators, Area Controllers and Unit Heads across the country to ensure the retirement notices are circulated to all affected officers.
Amid speculation that the mass retirements could be connected to succession plans within the Service, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, dismissed such claims.
According to the lawmaker, the retirements are purely statutory and should not be linked to reports concerning the eventual appointment of a new Comptroller-General of Customs.
He stressed that the Civil Service Rules clearly stipulate retirement after 35 years of service or at age 60, making the exercise a legal requirement rather than an administrative strategy to create vacancies for particular appointments.
Abejide explained that the unusually high number of officers retiring within a short period is largely the result of a prolonged recruitment gap within the Service.
According to him, a 16-year period of limited recruitment and stagnant promotion patterns led to officers within similar service number categories progressing through the ranks almost simultaneously.
The consequence, he said, is a top-heavy workforce structure in which a large number of officers have reached retirement thresholds at approximately the same time.
The retirement exercise coincides with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a final six-month extension for Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi.
The extension, announced by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, will allow Adeniyi to remain in office until February 2027.
According to the Presidency, the extension is intended to enable the Customs boss to complete key reform initiatives, including the implementation of the National Single Window project and the management of a smooth leadership transition.