The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), has unveiled the Kikelomo Shakirat Adeniyi Arena at Seme Border, turning a once-abandoned refuse site into a thriving community centre and coconut plantation.
The newly inaugurated arena, named after Mrs. Kikelomo Shakirat Adeniyi, wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), symbolises a renewed commitment to environmental sustainability and community development under the Green Border Sustainability Initiative.
The event drew an array of dignitaries including the Oba of Seme, traditional rulers, security chiefs, and representatives of key government agencies.
The Green Border project has successfully reclaimed the previously degraded Seme corridor, converting it into a green zone through the planting of coconut trees — a crop with deep economic and cultural roots in Badagry.
During the tree-planting ceremony, Mrs. Adeniyi and the Oba of Badagry led other dignitaries in a traditional planting ritual involving the use of sugar, a symbolic gesture of prosperity and sweetness for the community’s future.
In her remarks, Mrs. Adeniyi distributed waste bins to various institutions, including the NDLEA and the Seme traditional council, urging proper waste management and recycling as part of a broader vision to “turn waste into wealth.”
Demonstrating her deep commitment to economic inclusion, the COWA President presented cash grants of ₦50,000 each, alongside sewing machines, makeup kits, blenders, and gas cylinders to widows and women participants of the initiative.
In further support of the empowerment scheme, the Comptroller-General of Customs announced an additional ₦200,000 for each widow and a ₦10 million contribution to strengthen the overall programme — an acknowledgment of Mrs. Adeniyi’s remarkable efforts in advancing grassroots development.
Addressing healthcare disparities in the area, the Green Border Initiative also featured a medical outreach programme benefiting over 1,000 residents. The outreach provided free consultations, medications, and prescription eyeglasses for community members requiring vision correction.
Speaking at the ceremony, Comptroller Wole Adenuga, Area Controller of Seme Command, hailed Mrs. Adeniyi’s passion and leadership, noting that the initiative would leave a lasting legacy.
“Your name will be written in gold. This arena is a gift to the people and a testimony to your vision for a cleaner, healthier, and more empowered border community,” he stated.
The Kikelomo Shakirat Adeniyi Arena has now been formally handed over to COWA for continued management, ensuring that the centre remains a hub for community engagement, training, and empowerment.
About the Green Border Sustainability Initiative
The Green Border Sustainability Initiative is an environmental and socio-economic empowerment project spearheaded by Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi. It aims to promote sustainable livelihoods, environmental rehabilitation, and healthcare access in Nigeria’s border communities. Through this initiative, COWA seeks to empower women, widows, and youth while fostering peace, unity, and self-reliance across border areas.
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