Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Abuja, Nigeria — The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) has unveiled an ambitious national initiative aimed at driving environmental sustainability, women’s empowerment, youth development, and economic inclusion across Nigeria’s border communities.
The initiative was officially launched during the COWA Sustainability and Green Borders Summit, themed “Greening Borders, Empowering Lives: Women and Youth as Champions of Sustainable Trade.” The event took place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the Ladi Kwali Event Centre, Abuja Continental Hotel.
The summit drew a distinguished audience, including the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, directors from the Federal Ministries of Youth Development and Women Affairs, and representatives from the Border Communities Development Agency, led by its Executive Secretary, Mallam Sadiq Abdullahi, Esq.
In her keynote address, COWA National President, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, described the summit as more than an event — a “movement for transformation” symbolising Nigeria’s commitment to a greener, more inclusive, and equitable future.
She announced the establishment of the COWA Sustainability and Innovation Centre in Abuja, a first-of-its-kind hub designed to train and empower women and youth in border communities in solar energy, waste recycling, and green entrepreneurship.
“This is not just about planting trees,” Mrs. Adeniyi declared. “It’s about planting hope, growing opportunities, and cultivating responsibility.”
The planned centre will feature a Green Skills Academy, an Innovation and Research Lab, a Policy and Leadership Institute, and a Green Enterprise Hub focusing on eco-fashion, recycling, and renewable energy projects.
Presenting data from a recent Green Barrack Audit, Mrs. Adeniyi revealed that seven in ten border communities lack access to clean water and electricity. She warned that deforestation and illegal cross-border trade continue to erode livelihoods and worsen insecurity in these regions.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, urged policymakers to rethink Nigeria’s approach to border management, advocating for investment in people rather than enforcement alone.
“We need to stop treating border communities like problems to be managed and start treating them like partners to be invested in,” he said.
“Prevention is cheaper than enforcement, and it is more humane.”
Adeniyi stressed that sustainable development — through eco-enterprises, youth employment, and green infrastructure — offers a long-term antidote to smuggling, poverty, and insecurity in frontier regions.
“Let’s move from talking about green borders to actually building them,” he added. “That means funding; real funding that reaches women and young people doing the actual work on the ground.”
He reaffirmed that the Nigeria Customs Service would align its modernisation and trade facilitation agenda with global sustainability goals, ensuring that economic progress goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility.
A lively panel session followed, featuring climate and sustainability experts, including Dr. Ameh Zion Abba, Prof. Magnus Onuoha, Dr. Chimere Ohajinwa, and Rifkaku Joseph Odeyemi, moderated by Joy Onyekwere. Discussions centred on empowering border communities through green livelihoods, climate adaptation, and inclusive trade systems.
Participants lauded COWA’s leadership for its vision in connecting gender inclusion, environmental stewardship, and border development into a single strategic framework.
In closing, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi reaffirmed COWA’s long-term commitment to driving environmental consciousness, women’s empowerment, and community resilience through practical, measurable programmes.
“Together, we can build a greener, fairer, and more secure Nigeria — one border at a time,” she concluded.
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