The management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) equips 100 officers of the Deputy Controller (DC) rank with management skills required for promotion to Comptroller level for the upcoming leadership transition in the service, during a strategic refresher course, as hundreds of senior officers of the old generation guard prepare to exit the service in the coming months
By Edu Abade
In a matter of months, about 100 senior Customs officers of the Deputy Controller rank may be lifted to substantive Comptroller rank, Tentacle can authoritatively reveal. These officers were drawn from the new-generation intakes from 2009. This assertion is established by the fact that over 95 per cent of the old-generation officers will be exiting the Service between September 2026 and February 2027.
In view of the foregoing, President Bola Tinubu had last month extended, once again, the leadership tenure of the incumbent Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Dr Wale Adeniyi, for six months. Adeniyi who was due for retirement since August 2025, has been magnanimously favoured by President Tinubu to continue in the capacity of the CGC pending when the new-generation officers would have acquired the requisite knowledge and experience to takeover the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) completely.
To make good the intention, the management of the NCS has commenced a Strategic Refresher Course for 100 Deputy Comptrollers (DCs) as part of efforts to prepare a new crop of senior officers for higher leadership responsibilities across the Service.
The workshop, organized by the Human Resources Development Department in collaboration with the Customs Police Unit, began on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada. The Commandant of the College, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Dow Gaura, declared the workshop open on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
A statement made available to journalists by the National Public Relations Officer (NPRO) of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, quoted ACG Gaura as saying that the participating officers were carefully selected for higher responsibilities within the Service, saying the training was designed to prepare them to lead by example.
He added, “These officers are expected to serve as role models for the next generation of Customs personnel. This training goes beyond professional competence; it focuses on discipline, succession, conduct and leadership.”
Delivering the keynote lecture, retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Dera Nnadi reminded the officers that promotion brings greater responsibility rather than personal privilege, stressing, “The rank of Deputy Comptroller does not merely confer authority; it confers service. You owe responsibility to the Service, your colleagues, your subordinates, the nation’s leadership and our stakeholders.”
Also speaking, the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the College, Comptroller Haniel Hadison, charged the participants to uphold the traditions of regimentation, discipline and professionalism, stressing that senior officers must set the standard through their conduct, appearance and relationship with their subordinates.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Acting Customs Provost Marshal, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Sanusi Saulawa, said the refresher course was organized to prepare Deputy Comptrollers for the greater responsibilities that come with senior leadership positions and roles within the Service.
He noted that the workshop reflects the Comptroller-General’s commitment to continuous capacity building, adding that officers must constantly update their knowledge, strengthen their leadership skills and uphold the discipline, professionalism and integrity expected of them as future managers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Some participants commended the Comptroller-General for approving the course, describing it as timely and impactful. They pledged to apply the knowledge they have acquired to strengthen discipline, improve service delivery, and protect the image of the Nigeria Customs Service as they assume higher leadership responsibilities across the country.
