By Tunde Ojudun
In a landmark effort to merge border security with environmental development, the National President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, inaugurated a team of “Green Border Ambassadors” at the Customs Secondary School, Idiroko, Ogun State.
The event which took place on Monday, and hosted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Ogun I Area Command, in collaboration with PTML and KLT Customs Commands, signals a radical departure from COWA’s mission of humanitarian support to embracing environmental health.
Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, Acting Customs Area Controller for Ogun I, described the initiative as a historic milestone. He emphasized that the Sustainability and Green Border Initiative aligns with global environmental goals, noting that the prosperity of border towns depends not only on trade and security but also on ecological health. Afeni reaffirmed the command’s commitment to balancing its core duties of revenue collection and anti-smuggling with environmental preservation.
The program places young people at its core, appointing students as ambassadors to champion sustainable practices. By embedding environmental responsibility in schools, COWA aims to inspire a ripple effect that extends into surrounding communities.
Afeni commended Mrs. Adeniyi’s visionary leadership, highlighting how she has elevated COWA’s role into one of ecological stewardship. He also praised the Ogun I Chapter’s executives for their grassroots mobilization, which ensured the smooth rollout of this national sustainability vision.
President of COWA, Mrs Adeniyi commended Ag. Comptroller Afeni for hosting the event, and for finding time out of his tight schedule to attend the event. While encouraging the students to pay attention to the discussions of the day, Mrs Adeniyi urged them to be environment ambassadors and take good care of the trees to be planted in their school compound.