Uche Cecil Izuora
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to leadership development with a strategic training session for senior officers under the Senior Customs Command and Leadership Course at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada.
The training, tagged ‘Senior Customs Command and Leadership Course’, for batch A commenced on Monday, 3 February 2026, reflects the Service’s strategic focus on preparing officers for higher responsibilities amid evolving operational, security and trade facilitation challenges.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, 4 February 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, described the programme as a defining investment in the Service’s future. He noted that leadership within the NCS is exercised at every level and cautioned against the gradual erosion of standards, institutional culture and accountability as senior officers begin to exit the system.
According to the CGC, the course is designed to test character, competence and discipline, stressing that leadership exposes both strengths and weaknesses. He urged participants to avoid personalising authority, hoarding knowledge or engaging in unhealthy competition, adding that strong institutions are built on shared purpose, continuity and mentorship.
“At this level, your success is determined less by what you know and more by who you are,” he stated.
“The authority you wield amplifies character. It exposes strength, but it also reveals weakness. Throughout this course, you will be challenged to look inward to reflect on your judgment, discipline, values and behaviour under pressure.
“That discomfort is deliberate, because growth does not occur in comfort zones.”
The CGC further described the leadership programme as a deliberate effort by the Service to prepare officers for a defining moment in its history, noting that the quality of future leadership would depend on the decisions, discipline, and mindset of those currently being trained.
The training featured intensive sessions on leadership essentials, including authenticity and integrity, emotional intelligence, effective communication, strategic thinking, business acumen, and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Participants also examined lessons from the 4×100-metre relay race as a leadership case study, highlighting the importance of teamwork, synergy, timing and collective responsibility.
Discussions further explored how breakdowns in teamwork can create hostile, hindering and hypocritical work environments, while identifying the core elements of high-performing teams, including mindset, mission, methods, movement, message, and leadership by example.
Adeniyi challenged the officers to justify the Service’s investment in their development by translating knowledge into results that build capable teams and prepare others for future leadership roles.
He congratulated participants on reaching a significant career milestone and encouraged them to fully absorb the experience, reflect honestly, and apply the lessons learned.