The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has launched two major community-impact initiatives — the Green Border Initiative and the Customs Care Initiative aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, health, and empowerment within the Seme Border communities.
The twin programmes, unveiled by COWA National President, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, alongside the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (Zone A), Mohammed Babandede, signal a new phase in Customs’ people-centered border management — one that prioritises welfare, environmental stewardship, and inclusive growth.
Adeniyi described the Green Border Initiative as both an environmental restoration and economic empowerment project, targeted at rehabilitating degraded land and generating sustainable livelihoods for women and youth in border communities.
“This initiative is not just about planting trees; it’s about planting opportunities”, she said.
“We’re turning waste into wealth and equipping our people with the skills to thrive in a greener economy”.
Simultaneously, the Customs Care Initiative provided free medical services to over 1,000 beneficiaries, offering consultations, laboratory tests, eye care, and screenings for breast cancer, hepatitis, and hypertension.
Speaking during the outreach, Seme Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, noted that the intervention reflects the Service’s broader vision to impact lives beyond trade facilitation.
“Every life improved today strengthens the bond between Customs and our host communities”, Adenuga stated.
Babandede commended COWA and the Seme Command for spearheading what he described as a “new era in Customs”, one that recognises the link between border security and human security.
He urged other Customs formations to replicate the model across Nigeria’s borders.
The event also featured coconut tree planting, empowerment of widows and women with financial support tools for self-reliance, and the commissioning of solar-powered streetlights and a remodeled Officers’ Mess.
Dignitaries at the launch included officials from the Benin Republic Customs Administration, local government leaders, and representatives of security agencies, further strengthening cross-border collaboration and reaffirming Customs’ evolving role in sustainability and social impact.