Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has charged newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to demonstrate innovation, integrity, and a commitment to continuous learning as they assume greater responsibilities in the Service.
Speaking during the opening of a special leadership and capacity-building training for the newly elevated officers at the Command’s headquarters in Apapa on Wednesday, Comptroller Oshoba congratulated the participants, describing their promotions as both “a reward for hard work and a call to greater service.”
He noted that their new ranks come with increased expectations from both the NCS management and the nation at large, urging them to align their duties with the modernization vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
“These elevations come with benefits, challenges, and responsibilities. The management of the NCS demands more commitment, innovative thinking, and unwavering dedication to excellence in carrying out the CGC’s reform agenda,” Oshoba said.
Highlighting the Service’s transformation drive, Oshoba explained that Customs operations have become increasingly knowledge-driven, supported by modernization tools such as the Advance Ruling System, Time Release Study, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme , and the One Stop Shop mechanism, all designed to improve trade facilitation and operational efficiency.
He urged the newly promoted officers to acquaint themselves with these systems and deploy them effectively to enhance compliance and risk management.
“There are cases of non-compliance, either from ignorance or deliberate circumvention of procedures. This calls for greater alertness and the smart use of technology for risk assessment,” he cautioned.
Comptroller Oshoba encouraged the officers to leverage the training to enhance teamwork, leadership, and professional competence, while upholding the Service’s core values of justice and honesty in their new roles.
“As new leaders, some of you will be entrusted with sensitive duties, including custodianship of release passwords and supervision of junior officers. You must uphold the tenets of justice and honesty,” he said.
He reaffirmed that capacity building remains a top priority under the current Customs administration, emphasizing that training and retraining are vital to sustaining institutional excellence.
Declaring the course open, Comptroller Oshoba expressed confidence that the initiative would further strengthen the Service’s human capital base and enhance its contribution to national economic development.
The training, organized by the Apapa Area Command, is designed to equip newly promoted officers with advanced knowledge, leadership, and operational skills necessary for effective service delivery in the evolving customs landscape.