President Bola Tinubu has turned down recommendations from members of the National Assembly on who should replace Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, approving a final six-month tenure extension, allowing him to remain in office until February 2027.
Tinubu’s decision to retain the Customs boss for another six months was to ensure that Adeniyi completes ongoing key reforms within the Customs Service before leaving office.
Adeniyi’s tenure extension was announced in a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Adeniyi’s first tenure extension was due to expire on August 1, 2026, but Tinubu approved an additional six months, to prevent any leadership vacuum.
Onanuga said the extension was granted “to enable him to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window and ensure an orderly succession in the service.”
The presidential spokesman added that during the transition period, Adeniyi would work with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to oversee critical personnel matters.
“During the transition period, Adeniyi, working with the Nigeria Customs Service Board, will ensure the promotion of eligible officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained 60 years of age or have served 35 years,” the statement said.
Adeniyi joined the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s and rose steadily through the ranks of the service.
He became a Deputy Comptroller in 2012, was promoted to Comptroller in 2017, Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020, and Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023. President Tinubu subsequently appointed him Comptroller-General of Customs in June 2023.
The six-month extension is expected to provide continuity for ongoing reforms within the Customs Service while paving the way for a smooth leadership transition.