Public Safety : Customs, Fire Service, Unilever to Deepen Cooperation
Public Safety : Customs, Fire Service, Unilever to Deepen Cooperation
The Nigeria Customs Service ,NCS, Federal Fire Service ,FFS, and Unilever Nigeria Plc on Thursday, 27 August 2026, signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) at the NCS Headquarters, Abuja, in a strategic move to deepen inter-agency and public-private sector collaboration, enhance security, protect legitimate trade, safeguard lives, and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.
The agreements demonstrated the commitment of the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, to building stronger institutional partnerships as a cornerstone of effective public service delivery. Through sustained engagements with sister government agencies and key private-sector stakeholders, the CGC has continued to promote a collaborative approach to addressing challenges that transcend the mandate of individual institutions.
During the engagement with Federal Fire Service, CGC Adeniyi described the agreement as a bold, deliberate and strategic step towards strengthening inter-agency cooperation and advancing the shared responsibility of both agencies to protect lives, property and critical national assets.
He noted that the partnership would provide a structured framework for improving fire safety standards across Customs facilities, facilitating rapid emergency response, strengthening joint training and capacity development, and promoting the exchange of vital information on fire prevention and emergency preparedness.
The CGC expressed confidence that the agreement would go beyond the formalities of an MoU and translate into practical interventions capable of delivering tangible benefits. “I am very confident that this MoU will translate to practical actions to save lives, protect government assets, and enhance our collective capacity to respond to emergencies,” he said.
In his remarks, the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Adeyemi, described the agreement as a landmark development and the first strong MoU between the Fire Service and a sister agency. He assured the Nigeria Customs Service of his readiness to deploy expertise and operational capacity towards protecting Customs personnel, facilities and other critical assets.
The CGC’s commitment to strategic collaboration was equally evident in the separate engagement with Unilever Nigeria Plc, where he emphasised the importance of closer cooperation between Customs and the private sector in confronting challenges that affect trade, industrial development and consumer protection. He explained that the partnership would strengthen efforts to combat counterfeiting and illicit trade through intelligence sharing, product identification and verification of suspected counterfeit goods.
According to Adeniyi, the MoU would establish a structured channel for timely exchange of information relating to trademarks, product identification features, packaging specifications and product samples. He noted that regular engagements with private-sector stakeholders provide Customs with valuable industry intelligence, which can subsequently inform policy formulation, operational decisions and more effective enforcement strategies.
“Some of the takeaways we get from these engagements with the private sector influence the policies and decisions that we take,” the CGC stated, while commending Unilever for its sustained investment, innovation and contribution to employment generation in Nigeria. He described the company as a significant partner in the nation’s trade and industrial ecosystem.
Speaking on the partnership, the Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc, Tobi Adeniyi, highlighted the company’s long-standing presence in Nigeria, dating back to 1923. He disclosed that more than 70 per cent of Unilever’s raw materials are now sourced locally, while the company supports approximately 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Tobi Adeniyi commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its ongoing transformation, particularly its digitalisation initiatives, the Authorised Economic Operator ,AEO, programme and other trade facilitation measures. He noted that previous engagements between Unilever and the NCS had already yielded practical outcomes, including the application of lessons from specialised training involving more than 70 Customs officers.
He reaffirmed Unilever’s commitment to working closely with the Service to combat counterfeiting and illicit trade, while expressing the company’s readiness to broaden the partnership through further engagements across the country.
The signing of the two MoUs therefore represents another significant expression of CGC Adeniyi’s partnership-driven leadership style. By deliberately strengthening relationships with sister security and emergency-response agencies as well as legitimate businesses, the Customs administration is fostering an integrated institutional framework in which intelligence, expertise and resources are shared towards achieving common national objectives.
The development further demonstrates the CGC’s recognition that effective customs administration extends beyond revenue collection and border enforcement, requiring sustained collaboration with stakeholders across the security, safety, trade and industrial sectors. Such partnerships are expected to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen national security, protect legitimate businesses and consumers, and ultimately support the Federal Government’s broader economic development agenda.
