Nigeria Customs Service Trains Senior Officers for Higher Leadership Roles

Nigeria Customs Service Trains Senior Officers for Higher Leadership Roles

Gwagwalada, 6 February 2026 – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to prepare its senior officers for higher responsibilities through the Senior Customs Command and Leadership Course at the Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada.

The training, which commenced on Monday, 3 February 2026, is part of the Service’s strategic initiative to strengthen leadership amid evolving operational, security, and trade facilitation challenges.

Speaking at the event, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, described the programme as a “defining investment in the Service’s future.” He emphasized that leadership within the NCS extends to all levels and urged officers to uphold institutional standards, culture, and accountability as senior personnel transition out of the system.

“At this level, your success is determined less by what you know and more by who you are,” Adeniyi said. “The authority you wield amplifies character. It exposes strength, but it also reveals weakness. Growth does not occur in comfort zones, and this course is designed to challenge you to reflect on your judgment, discipline, values, and behavior under pressure.”

The programme featured intensive sessions on leadership essentials, including emotional intelligence, effective communication, strategic thinking, business acumen, and stakeholder management. Participants also analyzed the 4×100-metre relay race as a leadership case study, underscoring teamwork, timing, synergy, and collective responsibility.

Further discussions highlighted the consequences of poor teamwork, such as hostile work environments, and identified the core elements of high-performing teams: mindset, mission, methods, movement, message, and leadership by example.

Adeniyi urged participants to justify the Service’s investment by translating lessons into tangible results, building capable teams, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

He congratulated officers on reaching a significant career milestone, encouraging them to fully engage with the training, reflect honestly, and apply their new insights to advance the NCS.