The Nigeria Customs Service is bracing for a sweeping workforce reduction as a total of 1,516 officers across the country are set to exit the service over the next two years. 

The mass retirement follows the release of two statutory retirement lists by the Service’s Human Resource and Development Department, covering 825 officers scheduled to leave in 2026 and a further 691 officers due to depart in 2027.

The retirement notices were contained in two restricted circulars signed by the Comptroller of Establishment, A.A. Bazuaye, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.

The circulars confirm that officers across all cadres, ranging from Deputy Comptroller-General down to Customs Assistant II, will exit the Service in line with statutory provisions under the Public Service Rules.

An analysis of the 2026 retirement list shows that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre will record the highest number of departures, with 285 officers affected, followed closely by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226. Other ranks included in the 2026 list are 64 Assistant Superintendents of Customs I, 61 Chief Superintendents of Customs, 53 Chief Customs Officers, 51 Deputy Customs Officers, 46 Assistant Customs Officers, 13 Assistant Comptrollers-General and five Deputy Comptrollers-General. Among the senior officers named are Deputy Comptrollers-General Omale, Nnadi, Chiroma, Adeola and Niagwan.

The 2027 draft list, issued through a separate circular dated May 26, 2026, identifies the Superintendent of Customs cadre as the most heavily affected, with 200 officers due to retire, followed by 193 Deputy Superintendents of Customs. Officers on that list who identify errors or omissions have been directed to submit complaints to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General for Human Resources and Development on or before July 31, 2026.

All affected officers in both lists have been directed to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave three months before their effective retirement dates, in line with civil service regulations.

The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, has moved to douse speculation that the retirements are tied to the anticipated appointment of a new Customs Comptroller-General. He described the exercise as purely statutory, noting that it applies to officers who have either attained the age of 60 or completed 35 years in service, in line with standard public service regulations.

The development comes days after President Bola Tinubu approved a final six-month tenure extension for the current Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, keeping him in office until February 2027. The Presidency said the extension was granted to allow Adeniyi consolidate ongoing reforms, particularly the implementation of the National Single Window project, and to oversee an orderly succession process within the Service, including the promotion of eligible officers and the compulsory retirement of those who have reached the statutory threshold.