The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has graduated 50 officers from Junior Course 22 of the Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, with a charge to embrace innovation, discipline, and resilience as they advance in their careers.
The graduation ceremony, which took place at the Ahmad Makarfi Hall of the College, was attended by senior Customs officials and featured awards for outstanding participants.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources Development, Mr. Greg Itotoh, urged the young officers to uphold the values of the Service and translate their training into practical contributions at their various units.
“We can forget the harsh corrections, the restrictions, and the pain of training, but let us never forget the lessons learnt. As you return to your units, face the unknown with courage and determination, because as Customs officers, our duties are laced with challenges,” Itotoh said.
He emphasised that the Service under his leadership places priority on innovation and called on the graduates to be proactive in improving efficiency and enhancing Customs’ global relevance.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the College, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Mrs. Oluyomi Adebakin, described the graduation as a significant milestone in the institution’s mission of preparing young officers for higher responsibilities.
According to her, the Junior Course is designed to equip officers with leadership skills, discipline, and professional capacity required to meet the Service’s growing operational demands in an evolving environment.
“This cohort has invested significant mental, emotional, and physical effort, and their dedication has paid off,” Adebakin said, adding that the training went beyond academics to include health checks, physical drills, teamwork exercises, and assessments of punctuality and conduct.
She noted that the comprehensive programme was aimed at producing well-rounded officers who would serve as ambassadors of the College in their future assignments.
During the ceremony, awards were presented to outstanding participants in leadership, discipline, marksmanship, and academic performance. All 50 graduates were also issued certificates in recognition of their successful completion of the course.
The College, established to train officers for enhanced responsibilities, continues to play a key role in the development of the Service’s manpower.
