The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation, has launched a humanitarian and skills empowerment initiative targeting 5,000 vulnerable Almajiri children in Kano State.
According to a press release issued on May 18, 2026 by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Tahir Balarabe, the programme was unveiled at the Kano/Jigawa Area Command headquarters on Friday and featured the distribution of food items, clothing materials and Qur’ans to selected Tsangaya schools, alongside a needs assessment aimed at supporting future interventions in mentorship, education, skills acquisition and infrastructure development.
Speaking during the flag off ceremony, the Acting Customs Area Controller of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, described the initiative as part of the Service’s broader commitment to sustainable community engagement and social inclusion.
He said the intervention goes beyond charity and represents an investment in the future of disadvantaged children through education, mentorship and welfare support. According to him, the initiative reflects society’s commitment to protecting and nurturing vulnerable children.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs Faisal Garba, who represented the Comptroller in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), said the programme aligns with the Customs Cares initiative of the Service, which focuses on education, food security, healthcare, social investment, environmental sustainability and the creative economy.
Garba noted that under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Service has continued to expand its humanitarian interventions across communities nationwide.
He added that the partnership with the Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation had previously delivered similar interventions in Akwa Ibom State and was designed to improve the learning environment and welfare conditions of Almajiri pupils in Kano.
President of the Bella Amor Global Aid Foundation, Mirabel Etuk, commended the NCS for supporting humanitarian and community-based projects across the country.
She said the foundation remains committed to child welfare advocacy, combating gender-based violence and drug abuse, while also implementing its MO’Feed Initiative for vulnerable populations.
Etuk disclosed that the collaboration with Customs has created opportunities for communities in Kano and Akwa Ibom states, while also providing a platform for the launch of the Boy Child Learning Matter Initiative in Kano.
Delivering goodwill messages, the Special Adviser on Tsangaya Education, Alhaji Musa Falaki, described the intervention as a strategic effort capable of equipping young people with vocational skills and improving their future prospects.
Similarly, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Hafiz Ridwan, praised the Service for extending its impact beyond its statutory responsibilities through educational and humanitarian support projects.
In her keynote address, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Nsikan Umoh, said the initiative was designed to restore hope, dignity and opportunity to vulnerable children.
She revealed that the partnership would facilitate the distribution of thousands of kaftans, 300 Qur’ans and feeding support to more than 5,000 pupils across five Tsangaya schools in Kano State.
The Nigeria Customs Service reaffirmed its commitment to programmes that promote education, inclusion and sustainable development, while calling for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to improve the welfare of vulnerable children nationwide.
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