By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reinforced their status as the dominant force in Nigerian volleyball after both their men’s and women’s teams finished atop the standings at the end of the first phase of the 2026 Third Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Volleyball Premier League in Abuja.
The 15-day championship, sponsored by the Comptroller-General of Customs, concluded with NCS completing a flawless campaign in the men’s category, winning all 12 matches to amass 36 points while dropping only two sets throughout the competition.
In the women’s division, the Customs ladies also emerged table-toppers with 34 points after recording 11 victories from 12 matches, narrowly edging COAS Spikers, who finished second with 33 points.
The final day produced several thrilling encounters, highlighted by the women’s clash between the top two sides where COAS Spikers rallied to defeat Nigeria Customs Service 3-2. COAS claimed the opening two sets 25-22 and 25-19 before Customs fought back to level the contest with 25-21 and 25-23 victories. However, COAS held their nerve to take the deciding set 15-5.
Elsewhere in the women’s category, NSCDC swept aside Fire Service 3-0, CNS Spikers overwhelmed NAF Rockets 3-0, Vipers defeated Benue Queens 3-0, Lifecamp Volleyball Club beat Olalomi Royal Angels in straight sets, while Kada Emeralds completed a 3-0 victory over Excelsior VC.
In the men’s division, Nigeria Customs underlined their supremacy with an impressive straight-set victory over COAS Spikers (25-23, 25-18, 25-20) to preserve their unbeaten record.
Nigeria Correctional Service also finished strongly with a 3-1 triumph over Defence Spikers, NSCDC dispatched UCEM 3-0, Nigeria Police Force beat Sunshine Spikers 3-0, CNS Spikers eased past Offa VC 3-0, while Life Camp Volleyball Club stunned Kano Pillars 3-2 in one of the day’s most entertaining fixtures.
The final standings reflected the consistency of the leading teams. Behind the unbeaten Nigeria Customs men were COAS, CNS and NSCDC, while in the women’s category, COAS, NSCDC, Vipers and CNS completed the top five.
Chairman of the League Management Committee and Second Vice President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Architect Adamu Ahmed Tenimu, described the competition as one of the federation’s most successful outings.
“We must first give all praise to Almighty God for bringing us to the conclusion of this first phase of the Nigerian Premier League. I am really very happy with the conduct of the players, officials and everything surrounding this league,” Tenimu said.
According to him, the league attracted unprecedented global attention through its digital platforms.
“Our statistics show an average of about 5,000 visitors every day from nearly 200 countries around the world. That is no small achievement for Nigerian volleyball. We have showcased the progress of our league and proved it is comparable with leagues in Europe, Asia and even North Africa.”
He added that beyond the quality of competition, the championship achieved one of its major objectives of identifying players capable of representing Nigeria on the international stage.
“We have succeeded in bringing out players we believe can represent this country at any level of competition. That is a tremendous achievement for Nigerian volleyball.”
Tenimu also applauded the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his unwavering support, describing the sponsorship as instrumental to the continued growth of the league.
Representing the sponsors, Director of Sports of the Nigeria Customs Service expressed satisfaction with the investment made by the service, noting that the performances of the Customs teams justified the support.
“We are proud of the investment made by the Comptroller-General of Customs and the management. Our men’s team has gone unbeaten again after doing the same in the second phase last year, while our women’s team finished top of the table. All our three teams are among the leading teams, so we are very happy.”
He described the tournament as a worthwhile corporate social responsibility initiative that continues to positively engage Nigerian youths.
“It is investment well spent. Through this competition, the Nigeria Customs Service is helping young people channel their energy positively. The league has brought athletes from across the federation together, and the performances here will help in selecting players to represent Nigeria at the upcoming Zone 3 championship.”
He added that the break before the second phase would be used to address technical shortcomings identified through the service’s performance evaluation framework.
“We have our key performance indicators for all our teams. During the break, we will strengthen the areas where improvement is needed as we prepare for continental competitions. Our mandate is to keep preparing for Africa.”
With the first phase concluded, attention now shifts to the second phase of the CGC Volleyball Premier League, where title contenders will battle for national honours while players continue to compete for places in Nigeria’s national teams ahead of major continental assignments.
