President Bola Tinubu has approved a final six-month extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, allowing him to remain in office until February 2027.

The development was confirmed on Friday in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the extension is aimed at enabling Adeniyi to consolidate key reforms within the Customs Service, particularly the implementation of the National Single Window project, while also ensuring a smooth and orderly leadership transition within the agency.

Adeniyi’s previous tenure extension was expected to expire on August 1, 2026. However, the latest approval grants him an additional six months to oversee ongoing modernization efforts and succession planning in the service.

Onanuga explained that during the transition period, the Customs chief will work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to facilitate the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller and ensure the retirement of personnel who have either attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or completed 35 years in service.

The presidency described the move as part of efforts to strengthen institutional continuity and maintain the momentum of ongoing reforms in one of Nigeria’s key revenue-generating agencies.

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Adeniyi began his career in the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s. Over the years, he steadily climbed through the ranks, earning several promotions based on his service record and administrative experience.

He became a Deputy Comptroller in 2012 and was promoted to Comptroller in 2017. In 2020, he attained the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General before being appointed Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023.

President Tinubu later appointed him Comptroller-General of Customs in June 2023, a position he has held while spearheading reforms aimed at improving revenue collection, trade facilitation, and border security.

The tenure extension comes shortly after the Nigeria Customs Service recorded a major success in international law enforcement collaboration.

In May 2026, the NCS handed over several stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada after intercepting them at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

The recovered vehicles included high-end brands such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and Mercedes-Benz. The vehicles were formally returned to Canadian authorities during a handover ceremony attended by the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, and the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.

The operation was widely regarded as a demonstration of the Customs Service’s growing role in combating transnational crime and strengthening cooperation with international partners.

With the latest extension, Adeniyi is expected to continue driving reforms and overseeing strategic initiatives aimed at modernizing Nigeria’s customs administration before handing over to a successor in early 2027.