Oshoba urges promoted officers to leverage training for professional growth

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

The Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), is prioritizing capacity building for its officers, with Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, urging newly promoted officers to leverage training and development opportunities to drive excellence and modernization.

Oshoba who is the Area Controller of the Apapa Command of the NCS gave the charge at the opening session of a special training organized for the newly elevated officers on Wednesday, he congratulated the participants on their career advancement, describing their promotions as both “a reward for hard work and a call to greater service.”

In a release signed by Supretendent of Customs John Ayagbalo, Public Relations Officer(PRO) of the command made available to Nationupdate, Oshoba emphasized that the new ranks come with increased expectations from the Service and the nation, urging the officers to exhibit excellence, discipline, and commitment to the modernization vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.

“These elevations come with benefits, challenges, and responsibilities. The management of the NCS demands more commitment, innovative thinking, and an unwavering dedication to excellence in carrying out the CGC’s reform agenda.”

Highlighting the Service’s transformation drive, the Apapa CAC noted that Customs operations have become more knowledge-driven, with modernization initiatives such as the Advance Ruling System, Time Release Study, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, and the One Stop Shop mechanism redefining trade facilitation in Nigeria.

He tasked the newly promoted officers to familiarize themselves with these tools and deploy them effectively to enhance efficiency, compliance, and risk management.

“There are cases of non-compliance, either from ignorance or deliberate circumvention of procedures. This calls for greater alertness and the smart use of technology for risk assessment,” Oshoba warned.

While urging participants to leverage the training for professional development, he encouraged them to interact, exchange ideas, and build networks that will strengthen teamwork and leadership capacity across commands.

“As new leaders, some of you will be entrusted with sensitive duties, including custodianship of release passwords and supervision of junior officers,” he added. “You must uphold the tenets of Justice and Honesty, which are core values of the Service,” he said.

Oshoba reaffirmed that capacity building is a priority for the Service under the current leadership, with ongoing training and retraining integral to its long-term strategy for institutional excellence.

“To the glory of God and for the benefit of participants and facilitators, I hereby declare this course open,” he concluded.

The training session, held at the Apapa Area Command headquarters, aims to equip the newly promoted officers with advanced knowledge and leadership skills crucial for driving Customs modernization and effective trade facilitation.