President Bola Tinubu has announced a six-month extension to the tenure of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi. This decision comes as the earlier one-year extension granted in 2025 was nearing its expiration.
Presidency Announces Extension
Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, disclosed the development in a statement on Friday, June 19. He noted that the previous extension was set to end in August 2026. The new six-month extension will expire in February 2027.
The presidency explained that the extension is intended to allow Adeniyi to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window and ensure an orderly succession within the service.
Reasons for the First Extension
The implementation of the National Single Window was one of three major reasons cited by the president for the initial one-year extension in 2025. The other reasons were the modernization of customs operations and the execution of Nigeria's obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol.
Transition Period Plans
According to Onanuga's statement, during the transition period, Adeniyi, working with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Board, will oversee the promotion of eligible officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and the compulsory retirement of officers who have reached 60 years of age or completed 35 years of service.
Public Reactions
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions from Nigerians. Some critics expressed dissatisfaction with the extension.
- Iyalla Tubonimi criticized the administration, saying: "APC and ethnic appointments and politics are 5/6. What I love is how karma is dealing with them immediately. They lied to gullible Nigerians about PDP bad leadership just to steal and grab power that they can't manage."
- Ovo lamented favoritism in the workplace: "Why is it that everything in this country is set to favour just the elites, extending his tenure? What does that mean? This means we do not have capable hands to handle issues. Nigeria, the capital of Corruption."
- Herbert Onuoha questioned the transparency of the decision: "Irrespective of who is next in line, why can't Bola Ahmed Tinubu take decisions that are transparent, logical, unbiased and avoid confusion in Nigeria for once? Why is Tinubu such a crooked person?"
- Victor Abisoye warned that the extension could weaken the customs institution: "This is the kind of decisions that weaken institutions. The people in service will no longer be loyal to him for the next 6 months, because he's been cutting into their own promotion and growth."
Other Appointments
In a related development, President Tinubu also appointed Omotenioye Majekodunmi as the new Director General of the Nigeria Customs Computer College (NCCC). The appointment, announced by Bayo Onanuga on Thursday, July 31, takes immediate effect. Majekodunmi succeeds Nkiruka Madueke, who was appointed in June 2024.
