Recruitment: 573,523 candidates apply for 3,927 Customs jobs

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that the second stage of its ongoing recruitment exercise will hold between September 14 and 21.

Spokesman of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, said the process would be conducted through an online Computer-Based Test (CBT) as part of efforts to ensure transparency, accessibility, and fairness.

Maiwada revealed that the service received a total of 573,523 applications after it advertised 3,927 vacancies on December 27, 2024, across the Superintendent, Inspectorate, and Customs Assistant cadres. Following a rigorous screening of documents, 286,697 candidates were shortlisted for the next phase.

He explained that candidates could write the CBT from any location with reliable internet access, provided they use a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam and full-screen display, as the application is not mobile-enabled.

“A facial verification process will be conducted during login; therefore, candidates are advised to maintain a neat appearance to avoid recognition issues,” he said.

The spokesman cautioned that the system is sensitive to noise and movement, stressing that excessive distractions, background noise, whispering, or switching between windows during the test could lead to automatic logout or disqualification for malpractice.

To aid applicants, the NCS has also scheduled a mandatory pre-test exercise two days before the main CBT. Two separate links—one for the pre-test and another for the actual examination—will be sent to all shortlisted candidates.

Maiwada further disclosed that only those who applied for the Superintendent Cadre would be invited for an additional CBT in the next phase of the recruitment.

He assured that the exercise is strictly merit-based and warned applicants against relying on unverified sources or making payments to fraudulent agents.

“The NCS will not request any form of payment or conduct recruitment through social media. All updates will be communicated through the service’s official platforms,” he said.

According to Maiwada, the recruitment drive is aimed at strengthening the service’s manpower and improving overall efficiency in line with its statutory mandate.