The Seme Border Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), has empowered 1,000 entrepreneurs with N50,000 grants and business equipment as part of a wide-ranging medical and environmental outreach at the border.
The initiative, held at the Officers Mess, Seme Area Command, combined the Green Border Initiative with the Customs Cares Medical Outreach and Empowerment Programme. It provided free laboratory tests, medications, and eye care services, while also equipping beneficiaries with 10 industrial sewing machines, 10 grinding machines, and 10 gas burners and cylinders. Each recipient received a N50,000 startup grant to establish or scale small businesses.
Represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Muhammed Babandede, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Dr. Adewale Adeniyi, praised the collaboration between Customs, security agencies, and local leaders. “Today, I have seen synergy with my own eyes. I have seen collaboration. Thank you for making this happen,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of environmental protection, urging the initiative to extend nationwide.
The Customs Area Controller of Seme Command, Comptroller Adewale Adenuga, noted that the programme aimed to strengthen livelihoods and address critical community health concerns. “We identified health as a major challenge in the area, and that is why we support this medical outreach alongside empowerment,” he said. Adenuga also acknowledged individual donors, including Remi Adesanya, who contributed N2 million to support widows and young entrepreneurs.
The program included a symbolic tree-planting ceremony to promote environmental sustainability. Dignitaries, including the CGC’s wife, traditional rulers, and agency heads, planted 30 coconut and palm trees at the newly dedicated “Kikelomo Shakirat Adeniyi Arena,” a facility named after the COWA National President. The arena will serve as a revenue-generating and capacity-building space for women-led initiatives in the area.
Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, COWA National President, emphasized the initiative’s dual goals of empowerment and environmental stewardship. “We are not just restoring the ecosystem; we’re also equipping women and youth to turn waste into wealth. Our vision goes beyond borders to create sustainable impact,” she said, adding that the programme will soon be presented internationally in Brazil to attract global partnerships.
Community leaders, including Oba Akran of Badagry, lauded the initiative as a historic and timely intervention. Representatives from the Nigerian Air Force also commended the model, describing it as exemplary in combining humanitarian aid, entrepreneurship, and climate action.
Through this program, the Seme Border Command and COWA have demonstrated a commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, boosting local livelihoods, and creating a sustainable model for MSME development in border communities.
