Adeniyi Urges Reflection, Discipline, and Team-Driven Leadership

…As Customs Grooms Senior Officers for Higher Responsibilities

BY FUNMI ALUKO

CGC Adeniyi stepping out towards the dais during the engagement

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to leadership development with the inauguration of strategic training programmes designed to prepare senior and middle-level officers for higher responsibilities in an increasingly complex operational and trade facilitation environment.

At the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada, Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi underscored the importance of reflection, discipline, and team-driven leadership as the Service invests in grooming officers to sustain institutional standards and drive reforms.

DCG Chiroma

Speaking during the commencement of the Senior Customs Command and Leadership Course, Batch A, on 4 February 2026, Adeniyi described the programme as a defining investment in the Service’s future. He cautioned against the erosion of standards and accountability following the impending transition of senior officers’ out of the system, stressing that leadership exposes both strengths and weaknesses.

“At this level, your success is determined less by what you know and more by who you are. 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”, he said.

The training curriculum featured sessions on authenticity and integrity, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, effective communication, and stakeholder management. Participants also examined teamwork through the lens of a 4×100-metre relay race, highlighting the importance of synergy, timing, and collective responsibility in leadership.

In a related development, the NCCSC inaugurated 100 officers on 5 February 2026 for Senior Course 14 and Junior Course 24. The six-month Senior Course and three-month Junior Course are designed to equip officers with strategic leadership skills and enhance operational efficiency.

Deputy Comptroller General of Customs Sulaiman Chiroma, Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), speaking on behalf of the CGC, described the inauguration as a milestone in the Service’s transition from operational competence to strategic leadership. He noted that participation in Command courses would increasingly become a prerequisite for career progression, urging officers to treat their nomination as both a privilege and responsibility.

“The College remains a vital platform for equipping middle-level managers with the skills required to function in an increasingly complex security and economic environment,” Chiroma said.

Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Dow Gaura, Commandant of NCCSC, reaffirmed the College’s role in capacity building and professional training. He urged participants to demonstrate discipline, punctuality, adaptability, and integrity, warning against academic misconduct and emphasizing the institution’s zero-tolerance policy for infractions.

Both Adeniyi and the College leadership expressed confidence that the training programmes would produce capable leaders who embody the Service’s core values of accountability, professionalism, and teamwork. The initiatives, they noted, are part of a deliberate effort to prepare officers for higher responsibilities and to ensure that the NCS remains strategically grounded in supporting Nigeria’s economic objectives.