By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews | Friday, 18 September 2026
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commissioned the rehabilitated Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, reaffirming its commitment to supporting community development through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Customs Cares.
The facility was commissioned on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who said the intervention was part of the Service’s efforts to contribute to the wellbeing and development of communities beyond its statutory responsibilities.
Adeniyi explained that while the core mandates of the NCS remained revenue collection, trade facilitation and border security, the Service also recognised the importance of contributing to the social development of communities where it operates.
According to him, the rehabilitation of the Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre demonstrated the Service’s commitment to improving access to essential healthcare services, particularly at the grassroots.
The CGC recalled that the NCS formally launched its Customs Cares CSR programme in March 2025, with interventions covering several areas of community development.
He listed the areas of intervention to include school renovations, scholarships, medical outreaches, healthcare facility rehabilitation, food distribution, agricultural initiatives, skills acquisition, solar-powered lighting, borehole projects and other community infrastructure.
Adeniyi said the Ebubu healthcare project was particularly important because access to quality healthcare was fundamental to human dignity, productivity and sustainable community development.
He noted that the condition of the healthcare centre before its rehabilitation had affected the effective delivery of primary healthcare services to residents of Ebubu and surrounding communities.
“What we have achieved here is therefore more than physical rehabilitation. We have invested in access, dignity and hope,” the Comptroller-General said.
He stressed, however, that the success of the project would ultimately depend on the proper management and maintenance of the facility.
Adeniyi called for adequate staffing, regular maintenance and sustained support from relevant government institutions and the community to ensure that the rehabilitated centre continued to serve its intended purpose.
He also expressed appreciation to traditional rulers, community leaders, the Rivers State Government, the Rivers State Primary Health Care Board, the Eleme Local Government Council, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders whose contributions helped bring the project to completion.
Speaking at the event, the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, said the impact of the NCS should not be measured solely by revenue generated or enforcement statistics.
According to him, the positive difference made by the Service in the communities where it operates should also be considered as an important measure of its impact.
Alkali said initiatives such as the rehabilitation of the Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre demonstrated the broader role the NCS could play in improving the quality of life of Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Comptroller in charge of the Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, Comptroller Patience Ibrahim, said Customs Cares reflected the Service’s belief that its responsibility to Nigerians extended beyond revenue collection.
She said the initiative was designed to enable the NCS to make meaningful contributions to the communities it serves through interventions that address identified social and developmental needs.
The commissioning ceremony attracted government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders, who welcomed the rehabilitation of the facility.
The dignitaries said the upgraded healthcare centre would bring primary healthcare services closer to residents of Ebubu and neighbouring communities, potentially improving access to essential medical care.
They also urged members of the community and other stakeholders to take ownership of the facility by protecting its infrastructure, supporting its maintenance and ensuring that it remained functional for the benefit of present and future generations.
The rehabilitation of the Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre therefore represents another intervention under Customs Cares, as the Nigeria Customs Service continues to combine its statutory responsibilities with targeted community-focused initiatives across the country.
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