The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has received international recognition after its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Customs Cares, won the prestigious Commonwealth Environment and CSR Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland.

The award, presented on Friday, July 31, 2026, honours organisations implementing measurable, sustainable and community-driven initiatives that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Customs Cares earned the recognition for its interventions in education, healthcare, food security and environmental sustainability across Nigeria.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, described the recognition as a significant milestone in the Service’s transformation journey.

“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 by improving lives and strengthening the communities they serve,” Bomodi said.

The Comptroller-General credited the international recognition to the achievements of 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.

According to Adeniyi, the programme has delivered school renovation projects, healthcare interventions, clean water initiatives, food support and environmental programmes through the Green Borders Initiative.

“Beyond every classroom renovated, every borehole commissioned and every tree planted is something even more enduring—trust,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Tharaka Nithi County in Kenya, Muthomi Njuki, underscored the importance of international cooperation in tackling climate change.

“No country can solve the crisis alone, but through accountability, partnership, innovation and shared responsibility, the world can become greener, safer and more prosperous,” he stated.

The Comptroller in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mbwiduffu Ibrahim, said the international honour would motivate the Service to expand its community development programmes.

“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.

According to the award organisers, the Nigeria Customs Service distinguished itself through its innovative Hub-and-Spoke Community Activation Model, describing the initiative as a benchmark for sustainable public sector impact.

The recognition further reinforces the Nigeria Customs Service’s position as a forward-looking customs administration committed not only to revenue generation, trade facilitation and border security, but also to sustainable development and community empowerment.

Source: Independent