Residents of Ebubu community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State are set to benefit from improved access to primary healthcare following the commissioning of a rehabilitated healthcare centre by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The facility, Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre, was rehabilitated under the NCS Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Customs Cares, which is designed to support communities and contribute to social development.
Commissioning the project on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the intervention demonstrated the Service’s commitment to community development beyond its statutory responsibilities of revenue collection, trade facilitation and border security.
Adeniyi recalled that the NCS formally launched the Customs Cares programme in March 2025, with interventions spanning school renovations, scholarships, medical outreaches, healthcare facility rehabilitation, food distribution, agricultural initiatives, skills acquisition, solar-powered lighting, boreholes and other community infrastructure.
He described the Ebubu project as particularly significant because access to healthcare remains fundamental to human dignity, productivity and community development.
According to him, the condition of the healthcare centre before its rehabilitation had affected the delivery of primary healthcare services to residents and surrounding communities.
“What we have achieved here is therefore more than physical rehabilitation. We have invested in access, dignity and hope,” he said.
The Customs boss, however, stressed that the sustainability of the project would depend on proper management, adequate staffing and regular maintenance, alongside continued support from relevant government institutions and the community.
He commended traditional rulers, community leaders, the Rivers State Government, Rivers State Primary Health Care Board, Eleme Local Government Council, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders for their contributions to the project.
Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, said the impact of the Service should not be measured solely by revenue generated or enforcement statistics.
He said its contribution should also be assessed by the positive difference it makes in communities where Customs operates.
The Comptroller in charge of the Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, Comptroller Patience Ibrahim, said Customs Cares reflected the NCS commitment to extending its responsibility beyond revenue collection to improving the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Dignitaries at the commissioning commended the intervention, saying the rehabilitated facility would bring healthcare services closer to residents.
They also urged the community and other stakeholders to take ownership of the facility and ensure its proper maintenance and continued usefulness.
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