In a bold move to strengthen institutional leadership and drive innovation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has held a week-long retreat for its newly promoted Comptrollers, aimed at sharpening their managerial competence and aligning them with the Service’s modernisation agenda.
The retreat, which took place at the Senator Ahmed Makarfi Auditorium, Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, from October 7 to 11, 2025, brought together senior officers from across commands and formations to deliberate on leadership, innovation, and integrity in Customs operations.
Declaring the retreat open, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), DCG Sulaiman Chiroma, said the initiative was part of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s reform strategy to prepare newly promoted officers for greater responsibilities in line with global Customs standards.
Chiroma charged the officers to uphold discipline, accountability, and innovation in their respective commands, noting that their conduct and leadership style would directly reflect the Service’s image in the public domain.
“This retreat provides an opportunity to realign with the CGC’s three-point agenda: collaboration, consolidation, and innovation,” Chiroma stated. “Every officer must contribute meaningfully to the modernisation drive of the Service.”
He further urged the new Comptrollers to demonstrate teamwork and professionalism in implementing the CGC’s vision of trade facilitation and enhanced border security.
In his closing remarks, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, DCG Greg Itotoh, applauded the participants for their dedication throughout the training, describing their promotion as both a reward for diligence and a call to higher responsibility.
“You are now managers of men and resources. Every decision you make reflects not only on your command but on the entire Service,” Itotoh noted, urging the officers to remain disciplined, transparent, and impactful in service delivery.
He further enjoined them to mentor their subordinates and translate their loyalty to the institution into improved operational efficiency, stakeholder trust, and revenue performance.
During the retreat, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, delivered a paper titled “Stakeholder Management, Media Community, and Employee Relationship.” He underscored the role of effective communication in building institutional credibility and advised officers to embrace open, transparent engagement with the media and business community.
“Public relations is not just about information dissemination; it’s about building relationships and ensuring every Customs officer becomes an ambassador of the Service’s integrity,” Maiwada said.
At the end of the retreat, newly promoted Comptrollers **Usman Yahaya, Murtala Mu’azu, and Josephine Egwakide** expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General and the management team for their trust and commitment to leadership development. They pledged to uphold the Service’s values and contribute to realising the CGC’s vision of institutional excellence and stakeholder confidence.