…Urges Officers to Embrace Innovation, Integrity, and Effective Leadership
By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has held a week-long leadership retreat for its newly promoted Comptrollers, aimed at deepening their leadership capacity, fostering innovation, and strengthening institutional integrity in line with the reform agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
The retreat, which took place at the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi Auditorium of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, from Tuesday, 7 October to Friday, 11 October 2025, was declared open by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), DCG Sulaiman Chiroma, and officially closed by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, DCG Greg Itotoh.
Declaring the event open, DCG Chiroma described the retreat as a strategic initiative designed to equip the newly promoted officers with the mindset, knowledge, and leadership skills required to meet the evolving demands of modern Customs administration. He said the exercise aligns with the Comptroller-General’s three-point agenda of collaboration, consolidation, and innovation, which seeks to reposition the Service for greater efficiency, transparency, and global competitiveness.
“This retreat provides an opportunity to realign with the CGC’s three-point agenda to ensure that every officer contributes meaningfully to the modernization drive of the Service,” DCG Chiroma said. He charged the officers to demonstrate professionalism, discipline, and teamwork, adding that their performance would significantly shape the public perception of the Service.
Chiroma further reminded the participants that leadership within the NCS goes beyond authority—it demands vision, empathy, and accountability. He encouraged them to model integrity and innovation in all aspects of their duties, noting that “the future of the Service depends on how effectively its leaders respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.”
In his closing remarks, DCG Greg Itotoh commended the participants for their active engagement and commitment throughout the retreat, describing their promotion as both recognition of excellence and a call to higher responsibility. He charged them to embody the principles of professionalism, transparency, and accountability in managing their commands and personnel.
“The Nigeria Customs Service expects much from you,” DCG Itotoh stated. “You are now managers of men and resources, and you must embody the discipline, excellence, and transparency that define the vision of the Comptroller-General. Every decision you take will reflect not just on you, but on the Service as a whole.”
He further advised the new Comptrollers to apply the lessons from the retreat to improve operational efficiency, mentor junior officers, and enhance stakeholder confidence. He added that their loyalty to the institution should translate into impactful service delivery, efficient revenue generation, and sustained border security.
As part of the retreat, the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, delivered an insightful lecture titled “Stakeholder Management, Media Community, and Employee Relationship.” In his presentation, AC Maiwada underscored the importance of effective communication in leadership, advising the newly promoted officers to prioritize credibility, transparency, and constructive engagement.
“Public relations is not just about information dissemination; it is about relationship building, maintaining credibility, and ensuring that every Customs officer becomes an ambassador of the Service’s integrity,” he said. He urged the officers to avoid gossip, maintain open communication with productive staff and stakeholders, and strengthen collaboration with the media and business community to support the CGC’s reform initiatives.
In their remarks after the closing ceremony, Comptrollers Usman Yahaya, Murtala Mu’azu, and Josephine Egwakide expressed profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General and the management team for the confidence reposed in them. They pledged to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and to align their commands with the Service’s vision of institutional excellence and stakeholder trust.
They further assured that they would translate the lessons of the retreat into measurable actions that promote trade facilitation, enhance border security, and reinforce public confidence in the Nigeria Customs Service.
The leadership retreat forms part of the ongoing human capital development and reform initiatives under the administration of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, aimed at transforming the NCS into a world-class Customs institution driven by innovation, professionalism, and integrity.
