By Harriet Tornguvan
The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) has officially flagged off the first ever Green Border Day at Seme Border Town, Lagos State, marking a major milestone in its nationwide environmental sustainability campaign the COWA Green Borders Sustainability Initiative (CGBSI).
The National President of COWA, Kikelomo Adeniyi, described the flag-off as a movement of hope, responsibility, and transformation that connects our homes, our borders, and our planet.
She reflected on the success of the COWA Green Borders and Sustainability Summit, held recently in Abuja, which laid the foundation for the Green Borders campaign and unveiled the COWA Sustainability & Innovation Centre — positioned to be a national hub for climate education, women’s empowerment, and green innovation.
“The Abuja Summit gave birth to this action. What we launched as an idea in the capital has now become visible reality in Seme.
"Through the CGBSI, COWA is planting over 5,000 trees, training more than 1,000 women and youths in recycling and green enterprise, and establishing solar-powered eco-hubs across Nigeria’s border regions, she said.
The President explained that the CGBSI will run as a 12-month national program, scaling from Seme and Idiroko to other major border towns such as Jibia, Illela, Maigatari, Mfum, and Calabar transforming Customs communities into clean, climate-smart environments.
The event featured tree planting, community clean-ups, waste segregation demonstrations, and recycling hub training. Youths and market women participated actively, pledging to sustain the initiative through monthly “Clean Border Days.”
Kikelomo Adeniyi expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCCC, and other partners for their unwavering collaboration, stressing that “sustainability begins at home and grows through partnership and shared vision.”
Additionally, she announced that COWA will be hosting a special Side Event at the Nigerian Pavilion during COP 30 the United Nations Climate Change Conference holding in Belém, Brazil on 17 November 2025.
“We are taking the story of the COWA Green Borders Sustainability Initiative to the world,” she declared.
"At Nigeria’s borders, women are not only supporting trade we are protecting the environment and securing the future, she added.
She invited all Nigerian delegates, development partners, and stakeholders attending COP 30 to join COWA at the Nigerian Pavilion on 17 November to witness firsthand how Nigerian women are leading climate action from the grassroots to the global stage.
The COWA Green Border Day will continue with similar events nationwide over the next year, culminating in the presentation of a National Green Borders Impact Report and commissioning of the Centre at the next COWA Green Borders and Sustainability Summit.
