BRIEF HISTORY OF NCS
What is now known as the Nigeria Customs Service – a paramilitary organisation, could be said to have been established a little over a century ago when the British Colonial administration appointed Mr. T. A. Wall, in 1891, as the Director-General of Customs for the collection of inland Revenue in Niger Coast Protectorate. This is the formalization of the duties which the Department had been performing under the Royal Niger Company under the leadership of the past Chief Executives.

The name Department of Customs and Excise emerged in 1922 when the first Comptroller of Customs and Excise, Federation of Nigeria was appointed. Towards the end of 1945, the Customs and Excise Preventive service was established under the leadership of Mr. Nicol – a Briton. This was made up of two divisions – Maritime and Preventive. The maritime Division has the responsibility of collecting import and excise duties and other related functions while the Preventive Division was responsible for enforcement duties which included prevention of smuggling as well as arrest and prosecution of smugglers.

Sequel to the promulgation of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) No. 55 of 1958 the affairs of the Department were brought under the management of a Board. The Chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise was made the Chief Executive Officer of the Department. Mr. E. P. C. Langdon, a Briton, was appointed the first Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1959. Mr. S. G. Quinton succeeded him.

The attainment of independence in 1960 led to the Federal Government’s Nigerianisation policy which brought about the appointment of the first Nigerian Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in the person of Mr. Ayodele Diyan in 1964. He died in 1968 and was succeeded by Mr. Henny Etim Duke.

Decree No. 7 of 1970 granted additional powers with the definition of the membership of the Board. Additional members were now to represent the Federal Ministries of Economic Development and Reconstruction, trade and Industries. The intention of this decree was to broaden the scope of the national interest which will make for better guidance in the Board’s decisions.

NCS PAST CHIEF EXECUTIVES
YEAR NAMES DESIGNATION
1 1819 T. A. WALL Director Gen. of Customs, Niger Coast Protectorate
2 1900 H. L. SEAL Collector of Customs and Post Master Gen. Southern Nigeria
3 1903/ 1913 G. E. H. MIGEOD Customs Officer Northern Nigeria
4 1906 C. E. DALE Financial Commissioner Southern Nigeria
5 1909 T. F BURROUES Comptroller of Customs. Southern Nigeria
6 1914 T. F BURROES Comptroller of Customs. Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
7 1921 J. D. M STEWART Comptroller of Customs. Southern Nigeria
8 1922 F. A. CLINCH Comptroller of Customs & Excise Federation of Nigeria
9 1929 W. K. DANCOMBE Comptroller of Customs, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
10 1931 E. C. F BIRD Comptroller of Customs & Excise Federation of Nigeria
11 1939 A. E. V BARTON Comptroller of Customs. Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
12 1944 J. McLAGGAN Comptroller of Customs. Colony and Protectorate Nigeria
13 1946 W. T. MARTIN Comptroller of Customs. Colony and Protectorate Nigeria
14 1950 F. BISHOP Comptroller of Customs. Southern Nigeria
15 1954 F. BISHOP Comptroller of Customs. Southern Nigeria
16 1955 D. W. MILLER Comptroller of Customs and Excise Federation of Nigeria
17 1958 E. P. C. LANGDON Comptroller of Customs and Excise Federation of Nigeria
18 1959 E. P. C. LANGDON Chairman Board of Customs & Excise Federation of Nigeria
19 1961 S. G. QUITON Chairman Board of Customs & Excise Federation of Nigeria
20 1964 A. DIYAN Chairman Board of Customs & Excise Federation of Nigeria
21 1968 H. E. DUKE Chairman Board of Customs & Excise Federation of Nigeria
22 1975 S. A. MUSA Director, Dept. of Customs & Excise, Federal Rep. of Nigeria and Chairman Board of Customs and Excise
23 1976 OYEBODE OYELEYE Director, Dept. of Customs & Excise, Federal Rep. of Nigeria and Chairman Board of Customs and Excise
24 1982 ABUBAKAR MUSA Director, Dept. of Customs & Excise, Federal Rep. of Nigeria and Chairman Board of Customs and Excise
25 1988 Dr. BELLO H. MOHAMMED Director, Dept. of Customs & Excise, Federal Rep. of Nigeria
26 1993 Major – Gen. S. O. G. ANGO Sole Administrator
27 1999 A. Aliyu. MUSTAPHA Customs Comptroller-General
28 2003 D A Ogungbemile, a Deputy Controller-General was acting Controller- General.
28. 2004 Jacob Gyang Buba ,Customs Comptroller-General
29. 2008 Hamman Bello Ahmed,Customs Comptroller-General
30. 2009 Dr. Bernard-Shaw Nwadialo, Comptroller-General
31. 2009 Dikko Inde Abdullahi , Comptroller-General
32. 2015 Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali ,Comptroller-General

https://customs.gov.ng/?page_id=497