APC Chieftain, NGO Commend Doro’s Appointment to AU Humanitarian Agency Board

APC Chieftain, NGO Commend Doro’s Appointment to AU Humanitarian Agency Board
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APC Chieftain, NGO Commend Doro’s Appointment to AU Humanitarian Agency Board

The appointment of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, to represent West Africa on the Governing Board of the African Union Humanitarian Agency has continued to attract commendation from political and humanitarian stakeholders, who described it as a major achievement for Nigeria and the region.

A former Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee of Diaspora Chairmen and immediate past APC Chairman in the Scandinavian countries, Ayoola Lawal, said the appointment was a fitting recognition of Doro’s leadership, professional competence and dedication to humanitarian service.

In a statement issued on wednesday, Lawal congratulated the minister, expressing confidence that he would effectively represent the interests of Nigeria and the West African sub-region on the continental body.

He noted that Doro’s appointment reflected Nigeria’s increasing relevance in humanitarian coordination and social protection initiatives across Africa.

According to Lawal, the minister’s experience in humanitarian response, poverty reduction and institutional reforms would contribute significantly to the work of the African Union Humanitarian Agency.

“This appointment provides Nigeria and West Africa with an important opportunity to contribute to the development of African-led humanitarian policies and strengthen regional cooperation in addressing humanitarian challenges across the continent,” he said.
Lawal also prayed for wisdom, strength and divine guidance for Doro as he assumes the new continental responsibility.

Also commending the appointment, the Alliance for Humanitarian Support (AHS) described Doro’s selection as a well-deserved recognition of his commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians and advancing humanitarian interventions.

The organisation said the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction had recorded notable progress since Doro assumed office, adding that the ministry had “hit the ground running” through the implementation of impactful programmes aimed at strengthening social protection, supporting vulnerable households and driving poverty reduction initiatives.

According to the NGO, the minister’s leadership has brought renewed focus to humanitarian service delivery, institutional reforms and partnerships designed to improve the lives of disadvantaged Nigerians.

A humanitarian sector stakeholder also urged the Federal Government, development partners and other stakeholders to continue supporting the ministry in its efforts to expand humanitarian interventions and deepen poverty reduction programmes across the country.

The stakeholder expressed optimism that with sustained support, the ministry under Doro’s leadership would achieve greater milestones in promoting resilience, social inclusion and sustainable poverty reduction.

The African Union appointment is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s contribution to shaping humanitarian policies and coordinated emergency response mechanisms across the continent while reinforcing the country’s leadership role in advancing African solutions to humanitarian challenges.

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Customs Unveils 3,852 Successful Recruits, Adopts Annual Employment Exercise The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the release of the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise and unveiled plans to institutionalise annual recruitment to ensure continuous manpower renewal. Speaking at a press briefing, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the successful applicants were selected across three entry cadres, with 1,275 recruited into the Superintendent Cadre, 367 into the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 into the Customs Assistant Cadre. Adeniyi said the publication of the final list marks the successful conclusion of the recruitment exercise, which commenced in December 2024. He apologised for the delay in completing the exercise, attributing it to the unprecedented number of applications received and the Service’s determination to conduct a transparent, credible and merit-driven recruitment process. According to the Customs boss, the Service received 573,680 applications for just 3,852 available positions, making the exercise one of the most competitive in the agency’s history. He explained that all applications underwent rigorous screening procedures, including computer-based examinations, verification of credentials against the National Identity database, and additional checks where inconsistencies were detected. He noted that candidates who made the final list would still undergo physical and medical examinations before receiving final approval from the Nigeria Customs Service Board. Adeniyi disclosed that the overall success rate was 0.67 per cent, meaning only one out of every 148 applicants secured a place in the exercise. Breaking down the figures, he said the Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, representing one successful applicant out of every 217 candidates. The Inspectorate Cadre recorded 128,604 applications for 367 positions, making it the most competitive category with one successful candidate for every 350 applicants, while the Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 vacancies, translating to one successful applicant for every 76 candidates. He encouraged unsuccessful applicants not to be discouraged, stressing that many met the required qualifications but could not be accommodated because of the limited vacancies and intense competition. The Comptroller-General said the recruitment reflected the Federal Character principle, with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory represented. Each state was allocated 105 slots, comprising 35 positions in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, while the FCT received 72 slots under the approved allocation formula. On gender representation, Adeniyi revealed that women accounted for 839 successful candidates, representing 21.8 per cent of the total intake, slightly higher than their 21.2 per cent share of the total applications received. He added that female applicants recorded a marginally higher success rate than their male counterparts, particularly in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres, reaffirming the Service’s commitment to encouraging greater female participation in future recruitment, especially in operational and enforcement roles. According to him, the exercise also produced a youthful workforce, with a median age of 26 years and nearly three-quarters of the successful candidates below the age of 30. He said the youthful intake would strengthen the Service’s capacity to embrace modern customs administration driven by technology, data analytics and automated risk management. 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