The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has urged newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to embrace innovation, integrity, and continuous learning as they assume greater responsibilities within the Service.
Speaking on Wednesday during the opening of a special training programme organized for the newly elevated officers, Comptroller Oshoba congratulated the participants, describing their promotion as both “a reward for hard work and a call to greater service.”
He emphasized that the new ranks come with higher expectations from both the Service and the nation, urging the officers to demonstrate excellence, discipline, and commitment to the modernization agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
“These elevations come with benefits, challenges, and responsibilities,” Oshoba stated. “The management of the NCS demands more commitment, innovative thinking, and unwavering dedication to excellence in carrying out the CGC’s reform agenda.”
Highlighting the Service’s transformation drive, the Apapa CAC noted that Customs operations have become increasingly knowledge-driven, with modernization initiatives such as the Advance Ruling System, Time Release Study, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, and the One Stop Shop mechanism now shaping trade facilitation in Nigeria.
He tasked the newly promoted officers to familiarize themselves with these tools and deploy them effectively to enhance operational efficiency, 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 take full advantage of the training to expand their professional competence, interact, exchange ideas, and strengthen teamwork and leadership across various commands.
“As new leaders, some of you will be entrusted with sensitive responsibilities, including custodianship of release passwords and supervision of junior officers,” he said. “You must uphold the tenets of justice and honesty, which remain core values of the Service.”
He reaffirmed that capacity building remains a top priority for the Customs Service under its current leadership, with continuous training and retraining forming part of its long-term strategy for institutional excellence.
Declaring the training open, Oshoba said: “To the glory of God and for the benefit of participants and facilitators, I hereby declare this course open.”
The training, held at the Apapa Area Command headquarters, is designed to equip newly promoted officers with the advanced knowledge and leadership skills required to drive Customs modernization and enhance trade facilitation across Nigeria’s ports.
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