The Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has urged newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to uphold integrity, embrace innovation, and pursue continuous learning as they assume their new responsibilities.
Comptroller Oshoba gave the charge during a strategic training session organized for the newly elevated officers at the Apapa Area Command on Wednesday.
Congratulating the officers on their promotions, Oshoba described the elevation as both “a reward for hard work and a call to greater service.” He reminded them that their new ranks come with higher expectations from the Service and the nation at large.
“These elevations come with benefits, challenges, and responsibilities,” he noted. “The management of the NCS expects greater commitment, innovative thinking, and unwavering dedication to excellence in advancing the reform agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.”
Highlighting the ongoing transformation within the Service, Oshoba explained that Customs operations are increasingly knowledge-driven, with modernization tools such as the Advance Ruling System, Time Release Study, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, and the One Stop Shop mechanism now central to trade facilitation in Nigeria.
He urged the officers to familiarize themselves with these modern systems and deploy them effectively to promote efficiency, compliance, and risk management.
“There are still cases of non-compliance, whether due to ignorance or deliberate circumvention of procedures,” Oshoba warned. “This calls for greater vigilance and smarter use of technology for effective risk assessment.”
The Apapa Customs boss also encouraged the newly promoted officers to take full advantage of the training by interacting, exchanging ideas, and building strong professional networks that enhance teamwork and leadership across various commands.
“As new leaders, some of you will be entrusted with sensitive responsibilities, including custodianship of release passwords and supervision of junior officers,” he said, urging them to uphold justice, fairness, and honesty—the core values of the Service.
Oshoba reaffirmed that capacity building remains a top priority under the current Customs leadership, adding that continuous training and retraining are key components of the Service’s long-term strategy for institutional excellence.
The training session, held at the Apapa Command, was designed to equip the newly promoted Deputy and Assistant Comptrollers with the leadership skills and technical knowledge required to drive Customs modernization and ensure effective trade facilitation.
