COWA Takes Green Border Initiative to Seme, Unveils Eco-Empowerment for Women and Youths

...As Kikelomo Adeniyi Links Climate Restoration to Livelihoods, Security, and Global Collaboration

By Kathy Kyari

The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), led by its National President and wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, has extended its flagship Green Border Initiative to the Seme–Krake Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), deepening its drive for environmental restoration and grassroots empowerment.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony on Tuesday, Mrs. Adeniyi said the initiative reflects COWA’s commitment to transforming border communities through sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and youth inclusion in green enterprises.

“This Green Border project is not just about restoring our ecosystem—it’s about empowering our women and youths to see value in what we discard,” she said. “We’re turning waste into opportunity, promoting recycling, and going global to build green economies across our borders.”

She revealed that COWA will continue to forge global partnerships, disclosing that the association will be in Brazil the following day to secure collaborations for its environmental and empowerment programs.

“We’re here in Seme today, and tomorrow we’ll be in Brazil to attract partners and support our vision,” she added. “In six months, you’ll see results from what we’re building here.”

Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Babandede linked environmental degradation to rising insecurity, urging that the Green Border model be expanded nationwide.

“The insecurity we face is tied to climate change,” he warned. “Let this initiative go beyond the borders. People must understand that tree planting is a national security measure.”

Seme Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, hailed Mrs. Adeniyi’s leadership and announced a ₦50,000 start-up grant for each beneficiary, alongside the naming of the command’s empowerment arena after her.

“With this program, families are being secured,” he said. “Your name will be written in gold in the Nigerian Customs Service.”

Dr. Sadiya Baba, representing the Customs Care Initiative, highlighted that the project aligns with the NCS’s five care pillars — healthcare, education, food security, environmental sustainability, and creative economy while announcing a community-wide medical outreach on breast cancer awareness and first aid training.

Also speaking on behalf of the heads of security agencies at the event, Group Capt. Humphrey Medugu, commended the project as a unifying and sustainable step toward community development.

The event featured a tree-planting ceremony, empowerment for women and widows, a free medical outreach, and the distribution of startup grants, underscoring COWA’s vision to merge environmental stewardship with social and economic empowerment across Nigeria’s border regions.