By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Nigeria Customs Service has organised a week-long leadership retreat for its newly promoted Comptrollers with a focus on strengthening leadership capacity, innovation, and institutional integrity across commands and formations.
The retreat, held at the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi Auditorium of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, was declared open on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), DCG Sulaiman Chiroma, and officially closed on Friday, 11 October 2025, by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, DCG Greg Itotoh.
Declaring the event open, DCG Chiroma described the retreat as part of the Comptroller-General of Customs’ ongoing reforms to prepare newly promoted officers for higher responsibilities in line with global Customs standards.
He charged the officers to be deliberate in leadership and uphold the values of discipline, accountability, and innovation, stressing that their performance would define the image of the Service in the public space.
DCG Chiroma said, “This retreat provides an opportunity to realign with the CGC’s three-point agenda: collaboration, consolidation, and innovation, to ensure that every officer contributes meaningfully to the modernisation drive of the Service.”
He noted that Comptrollers must demonstrate professionalism and teamwork in translating the vision of the Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, into measurable achievements that will impact trade facilitation and border security.
In his closing remarks, DCG Itotoh commended the participants for their commitment throughout the retreat, describing their promotion as both a reward for hard work and a call to greater responsibility.
He said the new rank places them in the frontlines of Customs leadership where integrity, professionalism, and accountability must guide every action.
He said, “The Nigeria Customs Service expects much from you. You are now managers of men and resources, and you must embody the discipline, excellence, and transparency that define the vision of the Comptroller-General. Every decision you take in your command will reflect not just on you, but on the Service as a whole.”
DCG Itotoh further reminded the participants that promotion comes with higher expectations, urging them to leverage the training to improve efficiency and mentor their subordinates.
He added that their loyalty to the institution should translate into impactful service delivery, enhanced stakeholder trust, and sustained revenue performance.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, also delivered a lecture during the retreat titled “Stakeholder Management, Media Community, and Employee Relationship.”
Maiwada explained to the Comptrollers, the importance of effective communication in achieving organisational goals, advising them to shun listening to gossip and inculcate the habit of befriending all productive staff and stakeholders.
Speaking on public relations, AC Maiwada said, “PR is not just about information dissemination; it is about relationship building, maintaining credibility, and ensuring that every Customs officer becomes an ambassador of the Service’s integrity.”
He further emphasised that transparent communication and positive engagement with the business community remain essential to the success of the Comptroller-General’s reforms.
On their parts, Comptrollers Usman Yahaya, Murtala Mu’azu, and Josephine Egwakide, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the closing ceremony, expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs and his management team for their support and trust.
They pledged to discharge their duties effectively, protect the image of the Service, and ensure that the CGC’s vision of institutional excellence and stakeholder confidence is fully realised.
