The Nigerian Customs Services is one of the paramilitary organizations in Nigeria charged with the responsibility of collecting the country’s customs revenue as well as combating smuggling efforts. Men and women who have joined the NCS are employed in different ranks depending on the qualifications they presented at recruitment. Besides, their salaries are paid in that order from the least Customs Assistant to the peak, Comptroller-General. The salaries and allowances of these officers are well-detailed here.
The Rank Structure Of The Nigerian Customs Services
The ranks in the Nigerian Customs Services are 13 in number starting from the Customs Assistant which is the lowest to the Comptroller of Customs at the peak. Below is a comprehensive list of the ranks:
1 Customs Assistant
2 Assistant Inspector of Custom
3 Inspector of Custom
4 Assistant Superintendent of Customs II
5 Assistant Superintendent of Customs I
6 Deputy Superintendent Customs (DSC) Officer
7 Chief Superintendent Customs (CSC) Officer
8 Assistant Comptrollers
9 Deputy Comptrollers
10 Comptrollers
11 Assistant Comptroller-General
12 Deputy Comptroller-General
13 Comptroller General
A Scrutiny of the Higher Cadre in NCS
- Comptroller-General of Customs – The topmost position in the Nigerian Customs Services is the Comptroller-General who runs the agency and works hand in hand with the country’s minister of finance. His appointment comes from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and he is only accountable to the finance minister. However, within the NCS, all other officers are answerable to him irrespective of rank.
- Deputy Comptroller-Generals – The post of the Deputy-Comptroller General is not by appointment. In fact, it is the highest rank attainable by promotion and occupied by six officers at a time. It is from the pool of Deputy Comptroller-General that the president appoints the Comptroller-General. The six Deputy Comptroller Generals take charge of the under-listed departments
a) Corporate Support Services
b) Tariff & Trade
c) Enforcement, Investigation, and Inspection
d) Modernization, Research, and Economic Relations
e) Excise, Industrial Incentives, and the Free Trade Zone and
f) Human Resource Development.
- Assistant Comptroller-Generals – As the name implies, the Assistant comptroller Generals is a position occupied by more than one person.
- Comptrollers – The position of Comptroller of Customs is equally among the highest cadre ranks and comes with loads of benefits and bonuses
- Assistant-Comptroller-General – This rank is occupied by a single individual, though it sounds like number three above which is occupied by more than one person. It is among the higher cadre ranks.
Salary Structure of The Nigerian Customs Services
The salaries of officers of the Nigerian Customs Services are computed from CONPASS (the Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure) and just like other paramilitary services like Civil defense, Immigration, and FRSC, it is paid according to level or rank. The Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure is the personnel that takes charge of any increase in the basic remunerations, allowances, and benefits of the NCS and every other paramilitary organization.
On the salary hierarchy, the Controller-General of Customs sits at the top of the ladder as the officer with the highest earnings, however, the amount he collects as salary has never been publicized but according to reports, it is in the neighborhood of N2 million. The Deputy Controller Generals come next followed by the Assistant Controller Generals. The least paid are the customs assistants that receive between ₦298,506 – ₦330,321 as their annual remuneration. For those in grade level 07, their salaries were automatically changed to salary grade level 08. Those that are not housed by the government are entitled to an additional N4k as a rent subsidy.
| S\No. | Ranks | Annual Basic Salaries |
| 1 | Customs Assistant | ₦298,506 – ₦330,321 |
| 2 | Assistant Inspector of Custom | ₦357,358 –₦411,484 |
| 3 | Inspector of Custom | ₦483,014 –₦567,065 |
| 4 | Assistant Superintendent of Customs II | ₦888,956 – ₦988991 |
| 5 | Assistant Superintendent of Customs I | ₦1,012,562 – ₦1,143,539 |
| 6 | Deputy Superintendent Customs (DSC) Officer | ₦1,094,027 – ₦1,252,038 |
| 7 | Chief Superintendent Customs (CSC) Officer | ₦1,158,172 – ₦1,325,234 |
| 8 | Assistant Comptrollers | ₦1,225,584 – ₦1,405,449 |
| 9 | Deputy Comptrollers | ₦1,619,447 – ₦1,825,589 |
| 10 | Comptrollers | ₦1,759,829 – ₦1,966,281 |
| 11 | Assistant Comptroller-General | ₦2,272,288 – ₦2,464,560 |
| 12 | Deputy Comptroller-General | |
| 13 | Comptroller General |
Allowances and Benefits of Custom Officers
In addition to the annual basic pay of the employees of the Nigerian Customs Services, they still receive some benefits and allowances. Important to note that not all staff members of the para-military organization are entitled to all the allowance. There are some specific duties and tasks that attract some extra allowances but all staff members will get the ones tagged general allowances. For the officers that are living in government buildings, rent allowance will not be part of their package. In cases where there is no rent allowance, the onus is on the government to seek accommodation for its officers. The allowances include;
| S\No. | Benefits and Allowances of Nigerian Custom Officers |
| 1 | Transport |
| 2 | Meal subsidy |
| 3 | Utility |
| 4 | Hazards |
| 5 | House maintenance |
| 6 | Uniform maintenance |
| 7 | General Services |
| 8 | Torchlight |
| 9 | Detective |
| 10 | Hardiness allowance |
| 11 | Plain-Cloth allowance |
| 12 | Furniture allowance |
| 13 | Personal Servant for entitled officers |
How To Join The Nigeria Customs Service
These are the steps to take for intending applicants who have plans to enroll with the Nigerian Customs Services
- When the official portal is declared open and registration commences, applicants will log on to fill their application form.
- After the application form is satisfactorily filled, go ahead and print out all the necessary documents.
- Note both the screening and examination dates so you won’t miss it
- You will be notified if you are successful.
Academic Qualifications That Will Grant You Eligibility Into The Nigerian Customs Service
The lowest qualification that is accepted in NCS is the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) certificate. Those with higher qualifications like Higher National Diploma and Bachelor’s degrees from recognized higher institutions are also eligible to enroll. There is always room for other related certificates, but this is dependent on the particular cadre an applicant is applying for.
General Requirements For NCS Recruitment
Every applicant irrespective of cadre or academic qualification must meet the under-listed requirements to be considered eligible.
- Applicants must possess Nigerian citizenship by birth
- Depending on the job position they are targeting, applicants must have finished either O levels or higher education.
- The age bracket is between 18 to 35 years
- Applicant must not be an ex-convict
- Height for male applicants shouldn’t be less than 1.7 meters and 1.64 meters for females.
- Proof of Physical and mental fitness must be certified by a medical officer from government hospitals.
- Applicant’s record must be devoid of any form of financial embarrassment.
- Applicant must have good character and devoid of any criminal offense.
- Applicants must present their certificate of origin, duly endorsed by his or her LGA chairman or secretary.
- Applicants must present the right documents for their preferred cadre
- Submission of multiple applications attracts disqualification.
- Qualifications or certificates not declared at the point of recruitment will not be considered post-recruitment