Nigerian Customs’ First Female Pilot Earns U.S Commercial Multi-Engine Licence

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigeria Customs Service has celebrated a fresh aviation milestone with Superintendent of Customs Nafisat Balogun securing a commercial multi-engine pilot licence in the United States.

NaijaChoice News reports that the achievement, announced in Abuja on Sunday by NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada, further cements Balogun’s place as the service’s first female pilot in a field long dominated by men.

Balogun was honoured at a special ceremony organised by the Nigeria Customs Technical Hangar Service, where senior officers gathered to recognise her latest qualification.

The officer, who began her career in the NCS Airwing as a cabin crew member in 2002, has risen through sheer grit and agency support.

Managing Director of the Technical Hangar Service, Captain Kuhi Mbaya, described her journey as inspiring and a clear sign of what focused training can achieve.

He urged more female officers to venture into specialised aviation and technical roles without fear, adding that Balogun’s feat has raised the bar for everyone in the service.

Mbaya also commended Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi for championing gender inclusion and staff development across the agency.

Balogun, in her remarks, thanked the Nigeria Customs Service for believing in her and pledged to keep delivering professional service in her new capacity.

Her breakthrough comes barely two years after she first made history in 2024 as the NCS’s pioneering female pilot, a development that continues to boost morale in the Airwing unit responsible for anti-smuggling aerial patrols.

The milestone is being viewed in customs circles as proof that Nigeria’s security agencies can produce world-class professionals when given the right backing.