Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigeria Customs Service opened the 2025 Comptroller-General of Customs’ Conference in Abuja, with a firm call for senior officers to address the internal weaknesses that are hindering operational effectiveness across the Service.
The event in Abuja aimed to reflect on and proffer strategic plans that would enhance the Service’s performance, and was themed: “Building Future Partnerships: Lessons from the Customs-PACT Conference.”
Declaring the conference open, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated that the Service must now apply the same discipline, coordination, and clarity that delivered the successful Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade, C-PACT, Summit to its internal operations.
He reminded participants that only a day earlier, the Service concluded a landmark continental engagement that brought customs chiefs, private-sector partners and representatives from all African regions to Abuja.
CGC Adeniyi, however, cautioned that: “You can’t sustain external credibility without internal integrity. Turn the mirror inward and force honest discussions about what is working, what is failing and what must change.”
Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Building Future Partnerships: Lessons from the Customs-PACT Conference,” the CGC stated that the goal was to extract the principles behind the success of the international summit, including coordination, unified messaging, disciplined execution, and embed them permanently in the Service’s operating culture.
He recalled how, during preparations for the C-PACT Summit, the Service held weekly coordination meetings for 16 consecutive weeks, aligning messages with AfCFTA, resolving conflicts quickly, and maintaining unity, because “failure was not an option with the world watching.”
The two-day programme featured panel discussions, challenging presentations and open conversations where ideas mattered more than ranks.
