Yaounde: Customs pays homage to deceased former DG.

The ceremony, organised at the esplanade of the Yaounde Military Stadium, held Friday, April 10. It was attended by members of the Customs and Ndzana families.

In his eulogy, the Customs Director General, Fongod Edwin Nuvaga, said the pioneer Customs boss fought a good fight. He saluted the human and professional qualities of the great servant of the State, Hubert Ndzomo Ndzana. 

According to Fongod, Ndzana’s departure to the world beyond leaves a huge void within the Cameroonian Customs administration, an institution to which he devoted his life with exemplary selflessness. 

“A man of rigour and strong integrity, Mr. Hubert Ndzomo Ndzana left his mark at the helm of the customs administration through his strategic vision and his commitment to protecting the national economy,” Fongod stated. 

He further explained that the deceased was a leader of the calibre who combined technical expertise with humanism and was a role model for several generations of customs officers. 

He summarised Ndzana’s career as a customs officer as one that highlighted passion for job well done, adherence to procedures, and above all, pride.

Beyond his official duties, the pioneer customs boss was a mentor, icon and father figure to many. 

“His humility, even at the peak of his career, will remain etched in our memories. He loved to share his experience, patiently passing on his passion for the profession to the younger generation,” Fongod said in his eulogy. 

Expresses condolences of Finance Minister

The Customs DG also used the opportunity to convey the sincere condolences of the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, to the bereaved family of Ndzana. 

“We are convinced that the flag that Mr. Hubert Ndzomo Ndzana held high will continue to fly thanks to the legacy he leaves behind. May our presence, our affection, and our testimony bring you some comfort in the difficult trials you are facing, in the difficult trial we are facing,” Fongod said.

A rich career

Ndzana had a highly accomplished professional career. The graduate of the Class of 1973 at the National School of Administration and Magistracy, ENAM, held various notable positions, including Inspection Officer at the Port of Douala (1973); expert at the General Secretariat of UDEAC in Bangui-CAR (1975); Instructor at the Inter-State Customs School in Bangui-CAR (1975); and Head of the Investment Department at Douala Port 3 (1982).

From 1983 to 1987, Ndzana served as Director of Customs, concurrently serving as Administrator of CAMSHIP, CNCC, CAMTAINER, and the National Ports Authority of Cameroon.

 Ndzomo Ndzana was the first Director of Customs to conduct a national tour of customs offices. He also served as President of the Mutual Aid Society of Customs Inspectors and Officers, as Vice-Chairman of the Customs Cooperation Council and member in the UDEAC Committee of Experts.

He later became the first African to serve as Chairman of the Customs Cooperation Council.

Throughout his career, he left his mark wherever he served, which consistently earned him excellent evaluations from his various superiors and the highest recognition from the Presidency of the Republic, as evidenced by the honorary distinctions of Knight of the Order of Cameroonian Merit and Knight of the Order of Valour. He retired in 1998 as Senior Customs Inspector.

Background

He was born on April 11, 1943, in Ebong, a village in the Abam Group, in Saa Subdivision, Lékié Division of the Centre Region,

He completed his primary education at the Catholic Mission in Nkolmebanga, graduating with the CEPE in 1953. He continued his secondary education at the Sacré-Cœur College in Makak from 1953 to 1957.

Ndzana earned a certificate in law from the University of Yaoundé in 1970 and a Bachelor’s degree in public law from the University of Bangui in the Central African Republic in 1980.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3759 of Monday April 13, 2026