The Nigeria Customs Service has said that it is set to build its Federal Operational Unit (FOU), Training School and a 675 housing units for its 2000 officers and their families at the Agro Cargo Airport in Ikenne Local Government Area, Ogun State.
The Comptroller General of the Customs Service, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi disclosed this during the pre-handing over site inspection of the 100 hectares of land purchased by the service at the Agro Cargo Airport in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.
He said, “our training school would accommodate 500 hundred students/cadets made up of 350 men and 150 women, the main facilities to be provided for the Zonal Area Command/ Federal Operations Unit are a Command Administrative Block made up of offices, laboratories,storage, warehouses and open storage warehouses secured within a perimeter walling.
“We will also have a primary school, secondary school, church, mosque, hospital, shopping center, children’s playground, officer’s mess, male and female hostels, maintenance office, generator house, water treatment plant, external perimeter fencing and accommodation for staff and employees.
“The Operational Unit will also have three numbers of Commandants residences for Zonal Area Command, general accommodation for various cadres of staff will be provided,” he explained.
Adewale promised that the service would be responsible and responsible neighbor to their hosts and operate in a way that would make the State proud, adding that inputs from other security agencies are needed at the initial stage of the airport project to ensure seamless take-off.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya disclosed that the presence of the Nigeria Custom Service at the Aerotropolis is a tremendous asset to the people of the area as it would create job opportunities, improve the security of the town as well as make the import and export of goods seamless.
Engr. Ade Adesanya further stated that Arise Integrated Industrial Platform (AIIP) is already partnering with the state, while the Nigerian Air Force is also set to take a bold step in partnering with the state government.
” We just finished with the Comptroller General and his team, as you know the airport is located within the 5,000 hectares of the Aerotropolis, so the Nigeria Custom Service is partnering with the state, they’ve acquired 100 hectares of land at the airport.
” The Customs boss came around to do a pre-inspection and handing over of the site as they are about to start the construction of the Federal Operational Unit/Training School. They will be moving some of their operations from Lagos to Ogun State.
” Their coming will play a major role, the airport is agro processing and before you can take things out or in, the Custom Service must be involved, so getting them involved from the initial stage is going to make their job seamless”, the Commissioner concluded.