The Kano State House of Assembly has accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) cadet recruitment exercise of gross regional imbalance, alleging that northern states received disproportionately fewer slots compared to the South.
During plenary, majority leader Hon. Lawan Hussaini Dala said of the 1,785 recruitment slots: Lagos alone got 207; Ogun 145; Ondo 132; Osun 127; Oyo 108; Ekiti 93 (totaling about 812) — nearly half the total. In contrast the entire North-West region reportedly received only about 7 %: Kano 31; Katsina 20; Jigawa 18; Zamfara 16.
He warned that if the region remains silent the NCS will become an institution “belonging to one region”.
The Assembly urged the Federal Character Commission, National Assembly and NCS to review the recruitment list to ensure fairness, equity and inclusivity.
The motion was unanimously adopted and the House called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to cancel the exercise if needed.
The issue raises broader questions about regional balance, representation in federal appointments and the operationalisation of the federal character principle in Nigeria.
