Federal Character Commission Challenges Customs Over Recruitment List

By: Tunji Okunlola

The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has asked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to halt its ongoing recruitment training over allegations that more than 500 candidates named on the published final list were left out of the exercise. The commission also wants the service to hand over complete recruitment records so it can check whether the process complied with constitutional provisions on federal character and equitable representation.

The FCC’s Financial Services Committee chairman, Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, made the demands at a press conference in Abuja. The allegations have not been independently verified, and the Customs Service has not responded to the FCC’s latest demands in the information available.

The allegations

Bawa-Allah said some candidates who reportedly passed the required examinations, completed screening and documentation, and appeared on the published final list were not invited to the training, which began on 9 October 2026. He said some of them had allegedly resigned from their jobs, trained replacements and spent heavily in expectation of joining the service. The situation, he said, raises concerns about transparency, possible manipulation and public confidence in the process.

The commission also faulted the NCS for allegedly running the exercise without its monitoring and oversight, despite its constitutional mandate to promote and enforce the Federal Character Principle in federal appointments and recruitment.

Customs’ response

In a statement dated 19 October 2026, the Customs Service acknowledged complaints about the exercise and said it would engage affected applicants. The statement was titled Nigeria Customs Reviews Recruitment Complaints, Opens Door for Engagement with Aggrieved Applicants. The FCC called this response unsatisfactory and alleged that its attempts to obtain recruitment records and engage the Comptroller-General of Customs had failed.

The commission’s legal basis

Bawa-Allah said the commission’s authority comes from the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Federal Character Commission Establishment Act. He cited Paragraph 8 of Part I of the Third Schedule, which empowers it to set equitable formulas for sharing public service posts and to promote, monitor and enforce proportional representation. He said the commission may request employment records, investigate recruitment exercises and enforce compliance.

According to him, federal institutions must involve the commission in monitoring recruitment, with successful candidates reconciled against approved formulas for states and the Federal Capital Territory before a Certificate of Compliance is issued.

Questions over the lists

Bawa-Allah said the NCS published final lists for the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres between 28 and 30 July 2026. He argued that this created a legitimate expectation that candidates who met the requirements would be treated transparently and given reasons for any later disqualification.

The commission said reports that more than 500 candidates were omitted while allegedly unlisted applicants received training invitations raise questions about the criteria used. It asked the NCS to explain how candidates moved from the published list to the training list, disclose the state and local government distribution of those invited, and provide evidence of any Certificate of Compliance obtained before the invitations.

“The Commission is not asking that unqualified candidates be recruited. Federal Character does not replace merit,” Bawa-Allah said. He added that it “requires suitably qualified candidates from all parts of Nigeria to receive equitable opportunities through transparent, verifiable and nationally inclusive procedures.”

The FCC’s demands

The commission called on the NCS to:

• suspend the training immediately;
• provide complete records, including applications, examination results, screening documents, final selection lists and training invitations, with candidates’ state-of-origin and local government details;
• explain why it proceeded without the commission’s oversight, and show evidence of compliance certification;
• reconcile the published final list with the list of those invited for training;
• give written explanations to omitted candidates; and
• cooperate with any lawful investigation by the commission.

It warned against displacing qualified applicants through favouritism, undue influence, unjust substitution or administrative manipulation, and said it would use its investigative, compliance and enforcement powers to deal with any established violations.

Advice to applicants

The FCC urged affected candidates to stay peaceful and send relevant documents, including list records, screening papers and correspondence, through the proper channels. It promised to examine complaints on their merits and warned against intimidating or victimising those seeking redress.

“No public institution is above the Constitution. No Chief Executive may exclude lawful oversight. No qualified Nigerian should lose a legitimate opportunity for lack of political influence or powerful connections,” Bawa-Allah said.