By Bon Peters
The Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA) has launched its Sustainability and Green Border Initiative at Zone C Headquarters in Rivers State, raising over ₦500 million to support environmental sustainability and community empowerment.
The National President of COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi, wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, said the project targets border towns in Nigeria, focusing on restoring degraded ecosystems and empowering association members.
The programme began on December 10, 2025, at the Customs Area 1 Port Harcourt Command with a tree-planting exercise, before moving to JS Signature Hotel for a dinner and fundraising event.
Mrs. Adeniyi noted that climate change has prompted COWA to extend environmental awareness campaigns to neglected border communities while equipping members with skills in waste management and sustainable livelihoods. Since October 2025, the initiative has seen 862 trees planted, with plans to plant 15,000 more in the near future.
“Planting trees is planting hope, and anything COWA plants grows,” she said, emphasizing the importance of community involvement.
The event was attended by Rivers State government representatives, including Permanent Secretary Mr. Allwell Chinedu Okereuku, and customs officials such as ACG Kamal Mohammed, who described the initiative as “a testament to safeguarding the land that shelters us and the future of our children.”
Other attendees included Customs Zone C Area Controllers, freight forwarding associations, bonded terminal operators, and shipping companies. Leading the donors were Customs Zone C Freight Forwarders, who contributed ₦500 million.
COWA has taken the initiative to borders including Seme, Idiroko, and Illela, with plans to expand further, combining environmental restoration with member empowerment.
