The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Medical Unit has commenced its 7th Annual Medical Corps Retreat in Katsina State, with a renewed commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and improving the welfare of officers across the Service.
The five-day retreat, which began on Monday, is themed “Operational Wellbeing: Protecting Health to Protect Borders,” and brought together healthcare professionals, Customs officers, stakeholders, and experts from across the country for professional engagement, policy review, strategic planning, and knowledge sharing.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Tijjani Abe, said the retreat remained a critical platform for enhancing medical services within the Service.
He stressed that a healthy workforce was central to operational efficiency and institutional effectiveness.
“A healthy workforce remains the backbone of operational efficiency, productivity, and institutional effectiveness,” he stated.
The CGC reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to supporting initiatives that would improve the welfare, capacity, and working conditions of medical personnel, while also appreciating the government and people of Katsina State for hosting the event.
In his welcome address, the Head of the Customs Medical Unit, Ethelbert Nnaji, described the retreat as an avenue to assess the performance of the Customs Medical Corps and develop recommendations to improve healthcare services within the NCS.
According to him, the choice of Katsina as the host state was informed by the extensive Customs operations in the area and the need to strengthen relationships with host communities.
Nnaji also disclosed that the Service would carry out a free medical outreach in Daura as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives during the retreat.
“We intend to explore options, orthodox practices, and technological innovations that will bring quality healthcare closer to our officers wherever they operate,” he added.
Declaring the retreat open, the Governor of Katsina State, Umar Dikko Radda, represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu Funtua, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for prioritising the health and wellbeing of its personnel.
He praised the leadership of the Comptroller-General for promoting people-centred policies aimed at strengthening institutional care and operational effectiveness.
“A healthy workforce is essential to effective service delivery and the attainment of organisational goals and objectives,” he said.
The governor’s representative also acknowledged the contributions of facilitators and resource persons from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and other institutions participating in the retreat.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone “B”, Nsikan Umoh, appreciated the support of the Katsina State Government, the leadership of the NCS, participants, and stakeholders for contributing to the success of the programme.
The retreat also featured paper presentations by health experts from different parts of the country, aimed at equipping participants with modern ideas and professional knowledge to improve service delivery within the Customs Medical Corps.
Senior Customs officers, Area Controllers from commands under Zone “B”, medical professionals, and other stakeholders attended the opening ceremony.
The retreat is expected to conclude with a large-scale free medical outreach in Daura and visits to selected health facilities for benchmarking and assessment purposes.
