News
Nigeria Customs Service to Lose 1,516 Officers, Including Five Deputy Comptroller-Generals, in Mass Retirement Exercise
By Rukevwe odeh
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to witness a major personnel turnover as 1,516 officers are scheduled to exit the organisation under statutory retirement arrangements spread across 2026 and 2027.
According to official circulars from the Service’s Human Resource and Development Department, the retirement plan covers officers from various cadres, including senior ranks such as Deputy Comptroller-General down to junior levels like Customs Assistant II.
In 2026 alone, 825 officers are expected to leave, while an additional 691 officers will retire in 2027. The retirement notices were issued in two separate documents signed by the Comptroller, Establishment, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources.
The breakdown of the 2026 list shows that several cadres are affected, with the Deputy Superintendent of Customs and Superintendent of Customs categories recording significant numbers. Other ranks, including Assistant Superintendents, Chief Customs Officers, Inspectors, and Assistant Comptroller-Generals, are also included. Notably, five Deputy Comptroller-Generals are among those billed to exit service.
A similar pattern is reflected in the 2027 draft list, where hundreds of officers across different ranks are also scheduled for retirement, with Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent cadres making up the largest share.
The circulars directed all affected officers to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave in line with Public Service Rules and relevant federal regulations. They are also required to submit their three-month pre-retirement notices and ensure full compliance with the disengagement process.
The Service further allowed a window for corrections and complaints regarding the 2027 list, requesting that concerns be forwarded to the appropriate HR office within a specified deadline.
Meanwhile, the large-scale retirement has been linked to statutory requirements such as age and years of service. Lawmakers have also clarified that the exercise is not connected to any leadership change within the Customs Service but is instead a routine administrative process.
According to officials, the situation has been influenced by a long gap in recruitment and promotion, which caused many officers to rise through the ranks around the same period, leading to a wave of simultaneous retirements.
The Nigeria Customs Service is expected to manage succession planning as the affected officers gradually exit the system over the next two years.
By Rukevwe Odeh
The cost of cooking gas has started to decline in several parts of Nigeria following an improvement in the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and lower depot prices.
Market checks indicate that the reduction is being recorded in major cities after weeks of elevated prices driven by supply constraints.
In Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta, LPG currently sells for between ₦1,100 and ₦1,350 per kilogramme. Consumers in Benin City, Port Harcourt and Warri are paying between ₦1,150 and ₦1,400 per kilogramme.
In the South-East, residents of Onitsha and Enugu purchase cooking gas at prices ranging from ₦1,200 to ₦1,450 per kilogramme, while the product is sold for ₦1,250 to ₦1,500 per kilogramme in Abuja.
At the prevailing rates, refilling a 5kg cylinder now costs between ₦5,500 and ₦8,250, while a 6kg cylinder attracts between ₦6,600 and ₦9,900. A standard 12.5kg cylinder costs between ₦13,750 and ₦20,625, depending on location and retailer.
President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Edu Inyang, said prices remain relatively higher across northern Nigeria due to transportation and logistics expenses.
According to him, consumers in Kano and Kaduna pay between ₦1,300 and ₦1,550 per kilogramme, while prices in Maiduguri and parts of the North-East range from ₦1,350 to ₦1,650 per kilogramme, making the region the most expensive for LPG.
He noted that the national average price currently falls between ₦1,100 and ₦1,650 per kilogramme, although some retailers continue to charge above this range because of distribution and operational costs.
Inyang attributed the recent price drop to improved availability of locally produced and imported LPG, reduced depot prices, stronger competition among marketers and the end of panic buying that previously affected the market.
He added that despite improved supply, transportation costs, distance from depots and retailers’ pricing strategies continue to influence the final amount consumers pay in different parts of the country.
By Divine Perezide
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has announced the approval of a 13th-month salary bonus for civil servants in the state, describing the initiative as part of his administration’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare and rewarding their dedication to public service.
The Governor made the announcement on Tuesday night during the Dinner and Award Night organised in Asaba as part of activities marking the 2026 Public Service Week Celebration.
The declaration was greeted with loud applause and jubilation from civil servants and guests at the event, as the Governor disclosed that all eligible workers in the Delta State Civil Service would benefit from the special salary bonus.
Governor Oborevwori stated that the approval would make his administration the first in the history of Delta State to implement and pay a 13th-month salary bonus to the state workforce.
This was shared in a viral facebook post by Hon. Chief Favour O. Izoukumor Political Vanguard.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising the welfare, motivation and productivity of civil servants, noting that a motivated workforce remains essential to effective governance and sustainable development.
The announcement has been widely welcomed by workers, who described the development as a significant boost to staff morale and a demonstration of the government’s recognition of the invaluable contributions of public servants to the growth and development of Delta State.
Watch the video: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0SZLaZ2tqSNy2KWoPa8mZ1ye7wepRNJG9jLUjx6CQWQwX3fii7tvjy67FXgUmsFTcl&id=100066680253512&mibextid=ZbWKw
The 13th-month salary bonus is expected to provide additional financial relief to workers, particularly amid prevailing economic challenges facing many households across the country.
By Rukevwe Odeh
The Federal Government has instructed petroleum marketers to reduce the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), following the recent drop in international crude oil prices.
Speaking at the 2026 General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said Nigerians should benefit from the lower global oil prices through reduced fuel costs.
Lokpobiri also directed the NMDPRA to closely monitor the downstream sector to ensure marketers do not exploit consumers through excessive pricing or fuel quantity manipulation. He stressed that customers deserve to receive the exact volume of fuel they pay for, despite the deregulated nature of the petroleum market.
-
Local News1 month agoJust In: Ambassador Podoki Emerges APP Candidate for Burutu Constituency-I Assembly Seat
-
Breaking3 weeks ago2027: INEC Alegedly Announces Plans to Conduct Party Primaries in the Newly Created State Constituencies in Warri North and Warri Southwest LGAs, Others
-
Politics2 weeks ago2027: Mulade Challenges NDC’s Substitution of His Party Candidacy, Demands ₦5 Billion Damages
-
Breaking3 weeks agoTinubu Intervenes in Warri Delineation Dispute, Meets Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri Leaders
-
Local News2 months agoINC: Group Faults Sponsored Attacks on Tompolo, Igbadiwei, Urges Unity in Ijaw Nation
-
Breaking3 weeks agoConfirmed: INEC Announces Implementation of Warri Delineation Report, Restores Other Constinuencies
-
News1 month agoArogbo Kingdom Petitions EFCC Over Abandoned NDDC Bridge Project
-
News1 month agoDESOPADEC Izon Staff Hail Okpoye Over Tenure Extension