The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has concluded a high-level, two-day strategic leadership and management workshop aimed at accelerating trade facilitation reforms and enhancing the ease of doing business across the country.
Organised in partnership with Reverso Business Services Limited, the training programme, which held from 22 to 23 January 2026, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to digital modernisation and the elimination of bureaucratic bottlenecks within Nigeria’s trade corridors.
The workshop formed part of the broader reform agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, focused on strengthening institutional capacity, aligning operations with global best practices, and positioning the Service as a key driver of national economic growth.
The final day of the engagement centred on emerging trends in global trade, digital transformation, and the evolving role of modern Customs administrations. Senior officers of the Service engaged in robust discussions on adaptive strategies, operational efficiency, and stakeholder collaboration, underscored the NCS’s resolve to remain responsive in a rapidly changing trade environment.
Speaking at the session, CGC Adewale Adeniyi highlighted the dynamic nature of international trade and reaffirmed the Service’s proactive approach to reform.
“Our environment will continue to be very dynamic. What will not change, however, is Nigeria’s expectation that Customs will contribute meaningfully to economic prosperity, public health, and national security. When these elements come together, we are better positioned to facilitate trade,” he said.
He further challenged officers to uphold high professional standards, described the ongoing transformation of the Service as a deliberate effort to build a reference Customs administration known for accountability, responsiveness, and performance.
“These are standards we voluntarily hold ourselves to. We want to be that reference organisation, responsive to our commitments and obligations and supportive of government efforts to create an environment where the economy can prosper,” Adeniyi added.
Also speaking, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reverso Business Services Limited, Mr Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, commended the NCS for its openness to innovation and institutional improvement. He stressed the importance of embracing change and sustaining capacity-building initiatives to enhance trade facilitation.
“If you don’t take change by the hand, it will seize you by the throat. The environment is changing, and Customs must continue to manage that change proactively,” he stated, urging participants to translate lessons from the workshop into practical improvements across their respective formations.
The workshop aligned with the Nigeria Customs Service’s ongoing modernisation drive, which includes process automation, strengthened stakeholder engagement, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving service delivery and boosting trade efficiency nationwide.
