Nigeria Customs Service Holds Leadership Retreat for Newly Promoted Comptrollers
…Reiterates Commitment to Excellence, Innovation, and Institutional Reform
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its drive towards excellence and institutional transformation with the successful conclusion of a week-long leadership retreat organised for its newly promoted Comptrollers.
The retreat focused on strengthening leadership capacity, promoting innovation, and reinforcing integrity within the Service’s command structure.
Held from 7 to 11 October 2025 at the Senator Ahmed Makarfi Auditorium, Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, the retreat brought together newly elevated Comptrollers from across the country.
The programme served as an orientation and strategic alignment exercise to equip the officers with the skills and mindset required to deliver on the Service’s modernisation and reform objectives.
Declaring the event open, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), DCG Sulaiman Chiroma, described the retreat as a deliberate step in the Comptroller-General’s ongoing reform initiative aimed at repositioning the Service for optimal performance in a rapidly evolving global trade environment.
He stated that leadership within the Customs structure must reflect discipline, accountability, and creativity, noting that the performance of Comptrollers at the command level would significantly influence the Service’s overall public image.
“This retreat provides an opportunity to realign with the CGC’s three-point agenda – collaboration, consolidation, and innovation – to ensure that every officer contributes meaningfully to the modernisation drive of the Service,” he said.
DCG Chiroma further urged the officers to embrace teamwork, professionalism, and continuous learning as key enablers of effective leadership. He emphasised that their new positions come with greater responsibility and higher expectations.
At the closing ceremony, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, DCG Greg Itotoh, lauded the participants for their commitment throughout the retreat, describing their promotion as a well-earned recognition of service, but also as a challenge to deliver more.
“You are now managers of men and resources. The Service expects that your leadership will reflect the values of discipline, transparency, and innovation. Every decision you make in your command will shape not only your personal legacy but also the image of the Nigeria Customs Service,” he stated.
He urged the officers to translate the knowledge gained during the retreat into practical leadership, effective mentorship of subordinates, and improved operational efficiency.
He also reminded them that promotion should be matched by loyalty, integrity, and results-driven service delivery that enhances stakeholder trust and revenue performance.
The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, delivered an insightful lecture titled “Stakeholder Management, Media Community, and Employee Relationship.”
He highlighted the crucial role of effective communication and positive stakeholder engagement in sustaining public confidence in the Service.
“Public relations is not just about pushing information into the public domain; it is about building relationships, maintaining credibility, and ensuring that every Customs officer is a custodian of the Service’s integrity,” AC Maiwada noted.
He encouraged the newly promoted Comptrollers to prioritise open communication, build bridges of trust with both their teams and external stakeholders, and avoid the pitfalls of office gossip or divisive conduct.
According to him, transparent engagement with the business community remains essential to the successful implementation of the Comptroller-General’s reforms.
Speaking to journalists after the closing ceremony, some of the participants, including Comptrollers Usman Yahaya, Murtala Mu’azu, and Josephine Egwakide, expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and the Management team for their vision and dedication to leadership development within the Service.
They pledged to uphold professionalism, protect the image of the Service, and diligently implement the CGC’s vision of institutional excellence, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction.
The leadership retreat, which forms part of the NCS’s continuous professional development initiative, underscores the CGC’s commitment to cultivating a corps of forward-thinking leaders capable of driving innovation, ensuring trade facilitation, and maintaining the highest standards of integrity across all formations.
