Customs Spends N70bn on CSR Projects — Comptroller-General

The Nigeria Customs Service has disclosed that it has committed about N70 billion to Corporate Social Responsibility projects across the country.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists during the commissioning of the renovated Ife Girls High School in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Adeniyi said the expenditure was driven by the need to address infrastructure gaps and support sectors capable of improving the quality of life of Nigerians.

He explained that the Customs Service had made significant interventions in communities across the country, with education receiving particular attention because of the condition of many public schools.

According to him, the agency’s CSR programme is funded partly through a commitment by Customs officers to contribute a portion of their salaries towards social interventions.

He said the programme had enabled the service to undertake projects that government funding alone might not adequately cover, stressing that improving public infrastructure should be seen as a collective responsibility.

At Ife Girls High School, the Customs Service renovated four blocks of classrooms, a laboratory building, a staff building and the principal’s lodge.

Adeniyi said the condition of the school before the intervention was deplorable, noting that the laboratory was overgrown with bushes and had become difficult to access.

He said the intervention was particularly important because the school, which is about 60 years old, plays a significant role in promoting education for girls.

The Customs chief urged Parents Teachers Associations, alumni groups, charitable organisations and foundations to prioritise education and support efforts to improve learning facilities across the country.

He said Customs had identified several schools in different parts of Nigeria where similar interventions could help create better learning environments and make public education more attractive to young people.

Adeniyi also emphasised the importance of girl-child education, saying investments in schools would provide female students with better opportunities and stronger foundations for their future.

The Customs Service’s intervention at Ife Girls High School was welcomed by the school’s management, with the principal, Akinremi Iyabo, expressing appreciation for the renovation.

She pledged that the school would ensure proper maintenance of the facilities and encourage students to use them responsibly.

Adeniyi said the initiative demonstrated the role institutions and other stakeholders could play in complementing government efforts to improve education and social infrastructure.