The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has taken another bold step in strengthening its workforce, as senior officers of the Service graduated from the inaugural Senior Executive Course in Complex Customs Operations at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony held on Friday, July 11, 2025, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, reiterated the Service’s unwavering commitment to continuous capacity building as a core strategy for operational excellence and global relevance.
Describing the course as a “different level” of professional development, the CGC said the training was designed to expose senior officers to international best practices in customs operations, emerging dynamics in global trade, and evolving security challenges.
“We have structures for basic training, refresher courses, and command and staff college programmes, but this is a different level. With trainings like this, we expose our officers to global best practices, the dynamics in international trade, and how it affects their job on a day-to-day basis,” Adeniyi said.
He further noted that the programme would be carefully evaluated before rolling out a second batch, in order to enhance its effectiveness. “We will assess what worked and what didn’t. Our findings will inform improvements for future editions,” he added.
The CGC also described the graduating officers as accomplished professionals and “ambassadors of positive change,” expected to lead reform and innovation within the Service.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the NIIA, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, praised the Customs leadership for investing in human capital development. He linked the initiative to broader goals of national development and lauded Adeniyi’s recent election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organization (WCO) as a reflection of NCS’s growing global stature.
“This is not just for the participants; it’s for the Service and, by extension, for Nigeria. Strengthening institutional capacity like this is essential, especially as the operating environment becomes more complex,” Osaghae said.
Graduating officers expressed appreciation to the NCS leadership for the opportunity to enhance their strategic and operational skills, as the Service continues to position itself for more effective delivery in a changing global trade environment.