The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has urged newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers of Customs to embrace innovation, integrity, and continuous learning as they assume higher responsibilities within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Comptroller Oshoba gave the charge on Wednesday during the opening session of a special training programme organized for the newly elevated officers at the Apapa Area Command headquarters.
He congratulated the officers on their promotions, describing the advancement as both a recognition of diligence and a renewed call to greater service and responsibility.
According to him, every promotion in the Service comes with new expectations from both the leadership of the NCS and the Nigerian public. He noted that the officers must therefore demonstrate higher levels of discipline, excellence, and accountability in their new roles.
“These elevations come with benefits, challenges, and responsibilities,” Oshoba said. “The management of the NCS expects more commitment, innovative thinking, and unwavering dedication to carrying out the Comptroller-General’s reform and modernization agenda.”
The Customs boss highlighted that the Nigeria Customs Service is currently undergoing a transformation drive aimed at repositioning its operations for efficiency, transparency, and global competitiveness.
He explained that Customs operations have increasingly become knowledge-driven, powered by technology and innovation designed to simplify procedures and enhance trade facilitation.
Comptroller Oshoba pointed to key modernization initiatives being implemented by the Service, including the Advance Ruling System, Time Release Study, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, and the One Stop Shop mechanism. He said these programmes are redefining trade facilitation processes across the nation’s ports.
He charged the newly promoted officers to familiarize themselves with these modern tools and utilize them effectively to enhance compliance, efficiency, and risk management.
“There are still cases of non-compliance, either from ignorance or deliberate circumvention of procedures,” he cautioned. “This calls for greater alertness and the smart use of technology for risk assessment and enforcement.”
The Area Controller further advised the participants to maximize the training opportunity by engaging in open discussions, exchanging ideas, and networking to strengthen teamwork and leadership skills across various commands.
“As new leaders, some of you will be entrusted with sensitive duties, including the custodianship of release passwords and supervision of junior officers,” he stated. “You must uphold the principles of justice, honesty, and transparency, which are core values of the Service.”
Oshoba reiterated that capacity building remains a major priority under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, adding that continuous training and retraining are essential for maintaining institutional excellence.
He noted that the Customs management is committed to developing human capital as a strategic component of modernization, emphasizing that an informed workforce is the foundation of sustainable reform.
Declaring the course open, Comptroller Oshoba commended the facilitators and participants, expressing confidence that the exercise would equip the officers with advanced leadership and operational skills required for effective service delivery.
The training session, hosted at the Apapa Command headquarters, is part of a broader initiative to prepare newly promoted officers for higher responsibilities and to strengthen Customs modernization, trade facilitation, and revenue efficiency.
