By Seun Ibiyemi
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged to revive and strengthen the long-standing institutional relationship between the Service and Yakubu Gowon University, with renewed support targeted at enhancing learning, research, and student development.
Adeniyi made the commitment on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Hakeem Fawehinmi, and other principal officers to the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, the Customs boss recalled previous efforts to establish a formal partnership between the two institutions through a Memorandum of Understanding initiated during his tenure as Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College.
“I have a long institutional history with this university. During my tenure as Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, we made serious efforts to formalise a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding.
We went very far in the process and were close to signing, but leadership changes on both sides affected the process,” he said.
Despite the delay in formalising the collaboration, Adeniyi noted that the Nigeria Customs Service had consistently supported the university through strategic interventions, including the donation of transportation facilities and ICT infrastructure.
“At different times, we supported the university with transportation facilities, including the provision of a 32-seater bus. We also established a fully equipped computer centre with close to one hundred workstations.
These were deliberate efforts aimed at building lasting institutional partnerships,” he stated.
The Comptroller-General assured the university management that the Service would examine fresh proposals for collaboration, particularly projects capable of improving students’ welfare and strengthening the institution’s learning environment.
“For us, beyond legacy, what matters most is impact. We understand the realities facing Nigerian universities, from transportation challenges to infrastructure gaps. Our interest is to support initiatives that will create a conducive learning environment and positively impact students,” Adeniyi added.
He further stated that the Customs Service was open to implementing projects in phases where necessary, prioritising areas with the greatest immediate impact.
Adeniyi also stressed the importance of developing a university in the Federal Capital Territory that reflects the nation’s status, pledging continued cooperation with the institution.
Earlier, Fawehinmi commended the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service and its contributions to national development, describing the agency as one of the institutions supporting the Federal Government’s economic and governance reforms.
According to him, the visit was aimed at congratulating the Comptroller-General and exploring strategic areas of partnership between both institutions.
“As the only conventional public university in the Federal Capital Territory, we face enormous responsibilities. Support in areas such as mass transit buses, ICT infrastructure, research facilities, and professional collaboration will significantly strengthen our capacity,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
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Fawehinmi also identified the university’s Centre for Defence and Migration Studies as a potential area of collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service in border management, migration studies, executive training, and national security research.
“We are ready to partner with the Nigeria Customs Service. The real beneficiaries of such collaboration will be young Nigerians who represent the future leadership of this country,” he added.
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