A trade expert, Okey Ibeke, has attributed the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) 2026 Commonwealth Gold Award for Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the impact of its Customs Cares initiative, describing the programme as a model for combining trade administration with sustainable community development. Ibeke, Principal Consultant at International Trade Advisory Services Ltd., said the award reflects the Service’s transformation from a revenue collection and border enforcement agency into an institution delivering measurable social and environmental value. In a statement issued in Lagos, he said the initiative, introduced by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by extending government interventions to communities around ports, border posts and Customs formations nationwide. According to him, Customs Cares focuses on six pillars—education, healthcare, food security, environmental sustainability, social investment and the creative economy—through projects that have improved access to education, healthcare, clean water and other basic services. He said the programme has delivered school rehabilitation projects, classroom renovations, scholarships, learning materials, solar-powered streetlights, boreholes and free medical outreaches, particularly in underserved rural and border communities. “The significance of these interventions lies not only in the number of projects executed but in the lives that have been touched,” Ibeke said. He noted that the Service’s environmental sustainability initiatives, including tree planting, sanitation campaigns, waste management and renewable energy projects, were central to its emergence as the Commonwealth Gold Award winner. Beyond their social impact, he said the interventions have strengthened stakeholder engagement, improved relationships with host communities and reinforced public confidence in the Customs Service. Ibeke argued that stronger community relations contribute to improved cooperation, enhanced border security and a more conducive environment for legitimate trade, while also supporting Nigeria’s broader investment and sustainability objectives. He added that as investors increasingly assess countries on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, public institutions that embrace structured CSR programmes help enhance Nigeria’s institutional credibility and investment appeal. He described the Commonwealth Gold Award as an endorsement of the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs and evidence that the Service is delivering value beyond its statutory mandate. According to him, the institutionalisation of Customs Cares has transformed corporate social responsibility into a structured national programme implemented across Customs commands, strengthening public trust and stakeholder confidence. “The award validates the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to responsible governance, sustainable development and community partnership. It also demonstrates that public institutions can support economic development when they place citizens at the centre of their programmes,” Ibeke said.
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