By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has graduated 100 middle-cadre officers from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada, in a move aimed at strengthening leadership capacity, operational efficiency and service delivery across the Service.
The graduation ceremony, held on Friday, 12 December 2025, marked the successful completion of Senior Course 13 and Junior Course 23, and drew senior Customs officers, instructors and invited guests, underscoring the Service’s commitment to continuous professional development and institutional excellence.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola, congratulated the graduates and charged them to deploy the knowledge, skills and values acquired during the programme to improve performance in their various Commands and units.
She described capacity building as a core pillar of the Nigeria Customs Service’s modernisation agenda, stressing that officers trained at the College are expected to translate learning into tangible improvements in service delivery nationwide. DCG Adeola further urged the graduates to uphold professionalism, discipline and integrity, noting that their conduct would set the standard for younger officers and newly recruited personnel.
Earlier, the Commandant of the College, Assistant Comptroller-General Dow Gaura, said the successful completion of the courses reflected the discipline, resilience and intellectual rigour demonstrated by the officers throughout the training period. He explained that the programmes were designed to prepare participants for higher responsibilities and leadership roles within the Service.
ACG Gaura noted that the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College plays a critical role in professionalising the Customs workforce through a structured curriculum aligned with international best practices. According to him, the training integrates customs law, leadership development, operations management and strategic studies to equip officers with the competencies required in a dynamic operating environment.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, the Course Senior of Senior Course 13, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Umar Garba, described the programme as transformative, saying it strengthened their leadership skills, deepened their understanding of customs procedures and broadened their perspectives on inter-agency collaboration and national security.
The ceremony featured a guard of honour for the Special Guest of Honour, the presentation of certificates and awards to outstanding officers, as well as other ceremonial activities marking the culmination of the training.
In line with long-standing service tradition, the College had earlier hosted a Regimental Dinner Night on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, to celebrate officers who underwent rigorous training lasting three months for the Junior Course and six months for the Senior Course.
The graduation reinforces the Nigeria Customs Service’s resolve to build a professional, disciplined and forward-looking workforce capable of meeting contemporary border management and national economic security challenges.
