The Nigeria Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), has flagged off its Green Border Sustainability Initiative programme, which is aimed at restoring the degraded ecosystem in the country.
The National President of the association, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, said that COWA has grown from its local activities to become an internationally recognised organization.
In her address at the Zonal Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in PortHarcourt, the Rivers State capital, on the 10th of December, 2025, Mrs. Adeniyi explained that the COWA Green Border Sustainability Initiative, was created to restore the degraded ecosystem, and as well, restoring the deforestation effect in the environment.
She went further to state that COWA thought it wise to move from the era of learning on how to sew and all that, to something different; pointing out that they are bringing the Green Border Initiative to the South-South and the South-East region, particularly Rivers State as a maritime hub in Nigeria.
Mrs. Adeniyi also opined that COWA has effectively been reaching out to its sister agencies and collaborating with relevant stakeholders in the course of carrying out its activities over the years.
She was of the view that COWA in her resolve to step up in its vision and mission, has proposed to commence the building of a mega business hub in Abuja, come January, 2026, that will provide COWA members with the opportunity of carrying out research works and recycling of used materials like plastics, that will be one of the finest in the west African region, among others.
She emphasised that the initiative, which is aimed at turning waste to wealth and the kicking off of the Green Border Sustainability Initiative was in line with the vision of their National President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu to plant over two (2) thousand trees.
The National President of COWA, further stated that the Green Border Sustainability Initiative has been taken to places like: Seme Border, among others in the last few months to plant trees and remind the people on the need to preserve and sustain the ecosystem across the country.
She equally used the medium to disclose that COWA has graduated over 250 women in skills acquisition and is still doing more; expressing optimism that the support of stakeholders would help COWA achieve its dream of building a business hub in Abuja.
In his address, Mr. Alwell Chinedu Okoregu, representative of the Honourable Commissioner of Environment, Rivers State, thanked COWA for the Green Border Sustainability Initiative, adding that the message of COWA is in line with the vision of the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, hence the reason it would be supported by the state government.
The high point of the event was the physical planting of different trees, which commenced at the Customs Zonal Headquarters and terminated at Nigeria Customs Service Barracks at Rumueme, PortHarcourt, Rivers State.
The tree planting was done by the National President of COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, alongside other Comptrollers from the Eastern Zone, which include, but not limited to: Comptroller Bishir Abdullahi Balogun, FOU Zone ‘C’ Owerri; Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, CAC, Area 1 Command, PortHarcourt, Rivers State; Comptroller U Yahaya, CAC, Ibeto Area 5 Port Command, Rivers State and the CAC of Calabar Customs Command, Comptroller Dauda, among others.
Speaking at the Green Border Initiative Dinner held at the JS Signature Hotel, PortHarcourt, Comptroller Aliyu M Alkali, CAC of Onne Area II Customs Command, who represented the Customs Zonal Coordinator of Zone ‘C’ Headquarters, PortHarcourt, Rivers State, ACG Kamal Mohammed, spoke on the significance of the initiative and its fund raising.
In the same vein, the National President of COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, reiterated on her earlier speech during the Green Border Sustainability Initiative flag off, and seek the support of stakeholders from the Eastern Zone, to enable COWA achieve her proposed project, come January, 2026.
In response, Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku (Onwa), Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Onne Seaport chapter, who spoke and made a donation on behalf of bonded terminal operators, chapter chairmen of other freight forwarders associations and stakeholders, to the proposed project, lauded Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, for using her position and association to impact society in a very remarkable way.
It was indeed, a moment of commendation to all the Command Comptrollers at the Eastern Zone, particularly to Comptroller Bishir Abdullahi Balogun FOU Zone ‘C’ Owerri Comptroller, his men and officers at the Unit that were present at the event, by the wife of CGC, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi.
Other officers that received presidential handshake from the National President of COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi for their roles in ensuring a successful event include, but not limited to Assistant Comptroller (AC) JI Uba, CSC Rosemary Nche, PRO, Zone ‘C, ‘ Owerri and ASC I, Barilule Aanee, PRO, Area 1 Customs Command, PortHarcourt, Rivers State, among others.
