Customs Cares: CGC Adeniyi uplifts Lagos community, remodels school, health centre
...donates study materials to pupils, medical aid to Sagbokoji rural dwellers
Maureen Aguta
Determined to bring succor to rural dwellers across Nigeria under its charitable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative ‘Customs Cares’, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, commissioned a newly renovated Local Authority Primary School and a Primary Healthcare Centre, in the Sagbokoji Community, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
It was indeed a special day for the inhabitants of the sleepy coastal community , when the Customs CG led its team which comprises the ACG , Zone A, Charles Orbih and the Controllers of the Commands in the Zone , such as the CAC , Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu , who executed the project , to the community for the event.
Others include CACs of Tin Can, PTML and Seme Commands, Comptrollers Frank Onyeka, Tenny Daniyan and Benedict Oramalugo among others.
Sagbokoji is a riverine island community, which lies along the Lagos Lagoon which is only accessible only by water, a development that has contributed to its neglect over the years and its dearth of basic infrastructural facilities and amenities such as road potable water, light among others.
Speaking during the launch, the CGC said the Service remains committed to supporting host communities, noting that the initiative addresses both educational and infrastructural needs.
His words, “We are undertaking projects that will have direct impact on our schools and our students. We have brought school bags, exercise books, textbooks, and sandals for all the pupils of this school. We are also improving Infrastructure, where we see the deficit, and what we have chosen to do is to renovate the entire school. And I’m happy that through Apapa and the Stakeholders, we have been able to deliver on this project.”
He also emphasised the importance of healthcare to community development, which is a critical pillar of what the service is doing. “We know that the needs of this community are more than what we have done, but we have taken the first step towards entering into an enduring partnership with this community.”
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, noted that the project exemplifies the Service’s commitment to community well-being, beyond its core mandates of trade facilitation, revenue generation, and anti-smuggling.
“The benevolence from Customs shows that we have compassion for the communities where we cohabit, and this was what informed this very project. In the last four weeks, it’s been both day and night, workers have been here, with the active support of our distinguished stakeholders, to ensure that this project actually see the light of day”, Olomu stated.
In his goodwill message, Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Engr. Valentine Buraimoh, expressed appreciation to the NCS, describing the gesture as unprecedented. “This is the first time we are witnessing uniform men in the helm of affairs doing this project. And today, I’m highly elated for this gesture. I want to appreciate the NCS for renovating our school and the Primary Healthcare centre.”
The headmaster of LA Primary School, Oladeyo Emmanuel, also lauded the Service for its intervention, noting that the facelift would boost the morale of teachers and students alike.
The event featured the distribution of educational materials to pupils, and culminated in the official commissioning of both the school and the healthcare facility.