The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to prepare its senior officers for higher responsibilities with the launch of the Senior Customs Command and Leadership Course (Batch A) at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada.
The programme, which commenced on Monday, 3 February 2026, is part of the Service’s strategic drive to equip officers with the skills and mindset needed to navigate evolving operational, security, and trade facilitation challenges.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, 4 February 2026, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, described the course as a critical investment in the future of the NCS. He stressed that leadership must be exercised at every level and cautioned against the erosion of standards, institutional culture, and accountability as senior officers retire.
“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. This course will challenge you to reflect on your judgment, discipline, values, and conduct under pressure. That discomfort is deliberate, because growth does not occur in comfort zones.”
Adeniyi emphasised that the programme is designed to test participants’ character, competence, and discipline. He warned against personalising authority, hoarding knowledge, or engaging in unhealthy rivalry, highlighting that strong institutions are built on mentorship, continuity, and shared purpose.
The leadership training covered critical areas such as integrity, emotional intelligence, effective communication, strategic thinking, business acumen, and stakeholder management. Participants also studied lessons from the 4×100-metre relay race as a leadership case study, underscoring the importance of teamwork, timing, synergy, and collective responsibility.
Further discussions examined how weak collaboration can create hostile or unproductive work environments, while identifying the key elements of high-performing teams, including mindset, mission, methods, movement, message, and leading by example.
Adeniyi challenged the officers to justify the Service’s investment in their development by translating knowledge into measurable results, building capable teams, and preparing the next generation of leaders. He congratulated participants on reaching a significant career milestone and urged them to fully engage with the programme, reflect honestly, and apply the lessons learned to strengthen the Nigeria Customs Service.
