By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has graduated 100 middle-cadre officers from its elite Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, marking a renewed drive to strengthen leadership, operational efficiency and service delivery across the Service.

The graduation ceremony, held on Friday, December 12, 2025, saw officers of Senior Course 13 and Junior Course 23 complete months of intensive training designed to prepare them for higher responsibilities within the Customs system.

Senior officers, instructors and invited guests gathered at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), underscoring the Service’s emphasis on continuous professional development as part of its modernisation agenda.

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Kikelomo Adeola, congratulated the graduates and challenged them to translate classroom learning into tangible improvements in their various Commands.

“Capacity building remains a central pillar of the Nigeria Customs Service modernisation agenda,” Adeola said. “Officers trained at this College are expected to apply their skills to improve service delivery across all Commands.”

She also urged the newly graduated officers to uphold integrity and professionalism, describing them as role models for younger personnel within the Service.

“As you return to your units, you must uphold discipline and integrity, knowing that younger officers will look up to you for guidance,” she added.

Earlier, the Commandant of the College, Assistant Comptroller-General Dow Gaura, said the officers’ successful completion of the programme reflected their discipline and intellectual resilience.

“The completion of Senior Course 13 and Junior Course 23 demonstrates the officers’ commitment to excellence and readiness for higher responsibilities,” Gaura said, noting that the College remains central to professionalising the Customs workforce.

According to him, the College’s curriculum integrates customs law, leadership development, operations management and strategic studies, aligning the NCS with international best practices.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Umar Garba, Course Senior of Senior Course 13, described the programme as transformative.

“The training has strengthened our leadership skills, deepened our understanding of customs procedures and broadened our perspective on inter-agency collaboration and national security,” Garba said.

The ceremony featured a guard of honour for the Special Guest of Honour, as well as the presentation of certificates and awards to outstanding officers.

Earlier in the week, the College hosted a traditional Regimental Dinner Night on Wednesday, December 10, celebrating officers who completed three-month and six-month training programmes for the Junior and Senior Courses respectively — a long-standing tradition marking the end of rigorous professional training within the Service.

The graduation signals the NCS’s continued investment in human capital as it seeks to enhance leadership capacity and operational effectiveness nationwide.