The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched a series of community-based Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in Lagos, starting with the renovation of Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School in Ajeromi-Ifelodun.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Thursday during the commissioning ceremony, noting that the initiative aims to enhance learning environments for schoolchildren in underserved communities.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the NCS commitment to supporting education and fostering social development through targeted interventions across the country.
Adeniyi explained that the Service’s CRS usually targeted life-changing interventions such as Education, Healthcare, Sports, Creative Industry and Water.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that facilities provided in the renovated school included over 40 classrooms, toilets for teachers and pupils, food vendor spot, playing ground for toddlers and pupils and a clinic.
Also, the renovated schools were equipped with computer rooms having 10 computers with the Comptroller-General promising to send additional five computers personally, making 15 computers for the school library and classrooms among others.
The comptroller-general said the service would not only be known for revenue generation but also for improving the lives of the Nigerian people as part of its CSR.
He promised to enhance community well-being and foster sustainable development, ultimately making a positive impact on the lives of those it served.
“Our CSR target in 2025 is to directly reach out to 50,000 students across the country with writing tools, bags, school uniforms, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, shoes and raincoats, among others.
“We have donated writing materials to 10,000 children, and we will still reach out to school pupils in other parts of the country.
“We have budgeted healthcare delivery for 10,000 Nigerians in 2025, what we are doing is in line with our CSR, all the communities where we serve remain strong pillars which is why we will continue supporting them.
“I most sincerely commend Comptroller Frank Onyeka, Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Command and his team in ensuring that this school project is successfully delivered to the pupils,” he said.
The comptroller-general commended the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for allowing the Service to undertake the project.
Adeniyi also thanked the governor for giving the Service 50 hectares of land in Badagry to construct a College of Education, adding that the college had been approved by the Federal Government to commence construction.
Adeniyi acknowledged that he was a student several years ago from Modakeke High School and that God had supported him to the level he was because education was a road map to success.
“There are some people among us here that went to school around Ajeromi-Ifelodun popularly known as Ajegunle area of Lagos.
“The Lagos State Commissioner for Universal Basic Education, Ali-Balogun, went to school from this place.
“We started customs CSR in Sagbokoji Primary School, a riverine community under Amuwo Odofin Local Government and now we are in Ajeromi-Ifelodun area of Lagos.
“The picture will let you appreciate the depth of customs intervention. We are happy that our intervention has brought a conducive environment in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
Adeniyi said it would team up with the Ajeromi-Ifelodun LCDA to see how it could contribute to its Marakana Stadium to encourage spotting talented children in the area.
In his welcome address, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Charles Orbih, said the commissioning was the beginning of a transformative journey that would leave lasting footprints in its host communities.
Orbih commended Adeniyi for his exemplary leadership which had consistently demonstrated that a modern customs service should excel not only in revenue generation, trade facilitation, and border security but also in touching lives.
The Customs Comptroller in Charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mbwidiffu Ibrahim, said the CSR was to bridge the gap between the Service and the society, while reinforcing the fact that the customs’ service was not just a government institution.
In his goodwill message, a Member, Federal House of Representative representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun Constituency, Mr Paul Adeboye, commended the NCS, saying that it showed that parastatals were waking up to respect the CSR Act.
He urged other agencies to emulate the Nigeria Customs Service’s kind gesture.
A Traditional Ruler, Oba Muhammed Maruf, the Oluwa-Olu of Iwa Kingdom in Apapa, commended the Service for being the first government agency to extend CSR to primary schools in Ajeromi-Ifelodun area.
He urged the school authority to create a maintenance section for the renovated buildings.
Also speaking, the Chairman Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr Fatai Ayoola, appreciated the NCS for supporting young children who would be the future leaders.
He noted that Ajeromi had 72 schools in the community, adding that the council constructed the Marakana Stadium as well as vocational centres.
He urged Comptroller-General of Customs to support them more.
Ayoola said he was working towards taking the youths off the streets and giving them either sporting or vocational skills.
The Headmistress of Christ Assembly Nursery and Primary School, Ajejunle, Mrs Easter Ogunfuyi, appreciated the NCS for the school renovation.
Ogunfuyi said that the renovation would enable them to teach the children in a conducive environment, and recalled that the school had won the best school in Nigeria in 2013.
In his closing remarks, the Customs Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka, appreciated CGC Adeniyi for giving him the privilege to be part of the gesture.
Onyeka appreciated all the community leaders as well as the stakeholders at Tincan for giving it support to renovate the twin-two storey buildings.
He said that the NCS would also take total responsibility of proper maintenance of the renovated buildings.
