Nigeria Customs Wraps Up Leadership Workshop to Drive Trade Facilitation Reforms

Nigeria Customs Wraps Up Leadership Workshop to Drive Trade Facilitation Reforms

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has concluded a two-day strategic management workshop designed to accelerate trade facilitation reforms and enhance the ease of doing business across Nigeria.

The high-level training, organised in partnership with Reverso Business Services Limited, was held from January 22 to 23, 2026, and underscored the Service’s commitment to digital modernisation, operational efficiency and the elimination of bureaucratic bottlenecks along Nigeria’s trade corridors.

The workshop forms part of the broader reform agenda of the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, aimed at strengthening institutional capacity, aligning Customs operations with global best practices and positioning the Service as a critical driver of national economic growth.

Discussions on the final day focused on emerging trends in global trade, digital transformation and the evolving role of modern Customs administrations. Senior officers engaged in interactive sessions on adaptive strategies, operational efficiency and enhanced stakeholder collaboration, reflecting the Service’s determination to remain responsive in an increasingly dynamic trade environment.

Speaking at the event, CGC Adewale Adeniyi highlighted the fast-changing nature of international trade and reaffirmed the NCS’s proactive approach to reform.

“Our environment will continue to be dynamic. What will not change is Nigeria’s expectation that Customs contributes meaningfully to economic prosperity, public health and national security. When these elements come together, we are better positioned to facilitate trade,” he said.

Adeniyi further challenged officers to maintain high professional standards, describing the ongoing transformation of the Service as a deliberate effort to build a reference Customs administration defined by accountability, responsiveness and performance.

“These are standards we voluntarily set for ourselves. We want to be a reference organisation that is responsive to its obligations and fully supportive of government efforts to create an environment where the economy can thrive,” he added.

Also speaking, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reverso Business Services Limited, Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for embracing innovation and institutional reform. He stressed the need for sustained capacity building and adaptability to support effective trade facilitation.

“If you don’t take change by the hand, it will seize you by the throat. The environment is changing, and Customs must continue to manage that change proactively,” Ojeniyi said, urging participants to translate lessons from the workshop into tangible improvements across their respective formations.

The workshop aligns with the Nigeria Customs Service’s ongoing modernisation efforts, which include process automation, strengthened stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships aimed at improving service delivery and boosting trade efficiency nationwide.