The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have launched a dual-impact empowerment programme at the Seme Border, unveiling the Green Border Initiative and the Customs Care Initiative to promote environmental sustainability and expand community healthcare access.
The initiatives were inaugurated by COWA National President, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, alongside the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (Zone A), Mohammed Babandede, signaling the Service’s growing emphasis on people-centered border management that prioritizes welfare, health, and green economic growth.
Mrs. Adeniyi described the Green Border Initiative as both an environmental regeneration and economic empowerment scheme targeted at women and youth in border communities.
“This initiative is not just about planting trees; it’s about planting opportunities. We’re turning waste into wealth and giving our people the skills to thrive in a greener economy,”
she stated.
The simultaneously launched Customs Care Initiative provided free medical consultations, laboratory tests, eye care services, and health screenings for more than 1,000 beneficiaries, including examinations for breast cancer, hepatitis, and hypertension.
Seme Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, said the outreach reflects the Service’s resolve to impact lives beyond its traditional trade facilitation duties.
“Every life improved today strengthens the bond between Customs and our host communities,”
he noted.
ACG Babandede commended the twin programmes as symbols of a “new era” in the NCS—one that values both border security and human security. He encouraged other commands to replicate the model across the country.
The event also featured the planting of coconut trees, empowerment of widows and women with financial support tools, and the commissioning of solar-powered streetlights and a remodeled Officers’ Mess.
With representatives from Benin Republic Customs, local leaders, and security agencies in attendance, the launch further strengthened cross-border cooperation while reaffirming the Service’s evolving role in community development, sustainability, and social impact.
