By Gabriel Ewepu

A coalition of 37 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has passed a vote of confidence on the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR).

The group made the declaration during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, stating that the move was in response to what they described as unfounded media reports and campaigns aimed at tarnishing the image of the Customs boss.

Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, Amadi Chinda of the Initiative for Community Development said a thorough assessment of Adeniyi’s three-year stewardship revealed significant improvements in revenue generation, trade facilitation, and operational efficiency at the NCS.

The CSOs highlighted key achievements under Adeniyi’s leadership, including record revenue collections of ₦7 trillion in 2025 and ₦6.1 trillion in 2024, which exceeded set targets. They also commended the implementation of technology-driven reforms and policies aimed at reducing revenue leakages while supporting trade facilitation.

The group emphasised that Adeniyi’s administration has focused on balancing revenue generation with measures to ease doing business.

At the end of the briefing, the 37 CSOs unanimously declared their full support for the Comptroller General and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain him so he can continue implementing his reforms.

The organisations also called on Nigerians to disregard what they termed “baseless blackmails” against the NCS leadership.