Business

BACITI graduates pioneer set of 40 Senior Customs Officers

The Comptroller-General of Customs,Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said that the capacity building was aimed at raising the next generation of customs officers (2026-2035).

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2 months ago

July 7, 2026

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The Bashir Adeniyi Centre for International Trade and Investment (BACITI) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, has graduated 40 senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, in Advanced Senior Executive Course.

The Comptroller-General of Customs,Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said that the capacity building was aimed at raising the next generation of customs officers (2026-2035).

Represented by Gabo Aliu, Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, NCS, Adeniyi described global customs operations as dynamic and evolving, stressing that the Service must be futuristic and responsive to emerging trade realities.

He added that incoming framework would be all-inclusive with the graduates’ deliverables forming the basis of the strategic policy direction for the next generation of customs officers.

Aliu said the CGC’s administration was forward-thinking, responsive and resilient with a clear objective to position the NCS at the front vanguard of trade, policy formulation and integration.

He said: “For the pioneering set, the CGC has emphasised on a definite mentor-mentee programme, so they are going out as ambassadors of the NCS and NIIA, so we are looking that they are going to be impacting whatever they’ve learned here onto the future generation of custom officers, so it will be a win-win for the Nigerian Customs Service and the industry in general.

Dr. Adesuwa Erediauwa, Head\Director of Bashir Adeniyi Centre for International Trade and Investment (BACITI) at the NIIA, the organisers of the training, charged graduating senior customs officers to become “interpreters of change” and architects of institutional resilience as the Nigeria Customs Service prepares for 2035 and beyond.

She noted that customs administrations globally now face shifting trade routes, AI-driven border management, geopolitical tensions, climate change and supply chain disruptions.

“In this kind of world, yesterday’s methods are no longer sufficient for even today’s challenges, not to talk of tomorrow’s challenges,” he stated.

She stressed that future customs officer “must not just be an administrator or a gatekeeper” but must become “an analyst of uncertainty, a strategist, and an innovator.”

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Cybercriminals cloning DStv, other brands to steal bank accounts across Africa

According to cybersecurity company NordVPN, the campaign distributes Remote Access Trojans (RATs) and banking trojans, forms of malware that can give criminals control over infected devices and access to sensitive information.

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1 day ago

August 21, 2026

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Cybercriminals are impersonating popular companies and government agencies across Africa in a campaign designed to take over smartphones and bank accounts.

More than 100 fake websites linked to the malware campaign have been identified since August 2025.

Brands including DStv, Takealot and South African Airways, as well as the South African Revenue Service (SARS), are being used to make fraudulent messages and websites appear legitimate.

The attacks are particularly concerning in South Africa, where Android dominates the mobile operating system market.

NordVPN said the attacks typically begin with social engineering, where criminals send convincing messages through SMS, WhatsApp or social media.

The messages may contain urgent offers or requests involving job opportunities, tax refunds, identity renewals or pension verification.

Victims are then directed to fake websites designed to closely resemble the official websites of trusted organisations.

The sites encourage users to download an Android application. Once installed, the malicious software can operate quietly in the background, including after the smartphone is restarted.

Business

Cement price hits N16,000 per bag

The current cement prices mark a steep rise from late 2024, when a bag sold for around N7,500.

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1 day ago

August 21, 2026

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• Chairman of BUA cement, Abdul Samad Rabiu (ASR)

Cement dealers across Nigeria have announced fresh price increases, with a 50kg bag now selling for as much as N16,000 in some markets, up from N13,000 recorded by buyers just days earlier.

The current cement prices mark a steep rise from late 2024, when a bag sold for around N7,500.

By the third quarter of 2025, that had risen to about N9,000 before reaching the N12,000 to N16,000 range now seen across different locations.

Other building materials have followed a similar upward path. Blocks have climbed from around N600 to N1,100 each.

Sand has gone from N165,000 to N250,000 per 30 tonnes. Granite has risen from N530,000 to N780,000 per 30 tonnes.

Reinforcing steel now costs N1.15 million per tonne, up from N850,000.