_Nigeria Customs Service Launches Education Initiative to Empower Future Generation_

By Lod onyeji  

The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has recorded another milestone in his Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives under the "Customs Cares" program with the commissioning of a renovated and rehabilitated Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School in the Agbe area of Olodi-Apapa, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State. This marks the second such achievement in the Iwa and Apapa Kingdom.

In a significant step towards promoting education and community development, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched its "Customs Cares" initiative, a CSR program aimed at empowering the future generation through education. As part of this initiative, the NCS has renovated Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School in Lagos, providing pupils and teachers with a conducive learning environment. The school, established in 1960, received a remarkable facelift and was equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to enhance learning.

The project was adopted and funded by the Tin Can Island Port Command in collaboration with the NCS Headquarters in Abuja. Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi expressed satisfaction with the intervention, noting that it has provided a better learning environment for students and ignited the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The CGC announced that the NCS aims to directly reach out to 50,000 students by supporting them with educational items in 2025, having already assisted 12,000 students, including 5,000 in Lagos. The initiative is part of the NCS's broader effort to impact the lives of 10 million Nigerians through various intervention programs.

Stakeholders, including the Olu Iwa of Apapa Kingdom, Oba Mohammed Moroof Oyekunle Amodu Tijani Oluwa, the Federal Representative for Ajeromi/Ifelodun Constituency, Hon. Dr. Paul Kalejaiye, the Lagos State Commissioner of Education, and other dignitaries, commended the NCS for its CSR initiative and called on other government agencies to contribute to the growth of the community.

The "Customs Cares" initiative is a testament to the NCS's commitment to education and community development. The renovation of Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School is a significant step towards providing a better learning environment for pupils and teachers.

*Key Takeaways:*

- The NCS's "Customs Cares" initiative aims to empower 50,000 students with educational items by 2025.

- The initiative is part of the NCS's broader effort to impact the lives of 10 million Nigerians through various intervention programs.

- The renovation of Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School provides pupils and teachers with a conducive learning environment.

*Implications:*

- The "Customs Cares" initiative has the potential to make a significant impact on education and community development in Nigeria.

- The NCS's commitment to education and community development is commendable.

The Host Comptroller, F O Onyeka, was visibly full of joy and pride for a job well done at the right time, location, and occasion, underscoring his deft handling of the situation and his depth of knowledge in what he was and is still doing.