COWA Launches Green Borders Initiative to Restore Environment

By Afolabi Nelson

The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) has launched the Sustainable and Green Borders Initiative to restore degraded environments in Nigeria’s border communities and empower women and youth through green innovation.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, called for urgent action to transform border areas from neglected zones into centres of opportunity. He noted that poor living conditions and environmental decay in border towns often push residents into smuggling and insecurity out of desperation.

COWA National President, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, said the initiative moves “from awareness to action,” aligning with the Customs Service’s modernization agenda and the World Customs Organisation’s sustainability goals.

She announced the creation of the COWA Sustainability and Innovation Centre in Abuja, which will promote renewable energy, recycling, and sustainable trade.

The centre will include a Green Skills Academy to train women and youth in solar energy and waste management, an Innovation and Research Lab for eco start-ups, and a Policy and Leadership Institute to connect customs reforms with global sustainability standards.