Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Western Marine Command has stepped up efforts to strengthen professionalism and public trust, holding a reputation management training for its officers in Lagos as part of a broader institutional reform drive.
The training, followed a directive by the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Adewale Adeniyi, aimed at reinforcing ethical conduct, institutional image and stakeholder confidence across the Service.
Customs Area Controller of the Western Marine Command, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, said reputation management was not cosmetic but central to operational effectiveness, particularly for officers who serve as the primary interface between government and the public.
“Reputation management is a critical pillar of effective customs operations,” Ntadi said, warning that unprofessional conduct could erode public trust and damage the Service’s credibility.
“The NCS remains one of the most dignified institutions in the country, and our responsibility is to serve humanity with integrity. This training is meant to reinforce our values and ensure that officers conduct themselves in ways that promote trust and compliance,” he added.
Ntadi commended officers of the Command for their discipline and professional appearance, stressing that credible conduct was essential to achieving the Service’s core mandates of revenue generation, trade facilitation and national security.
The training facilitator and Command Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs, CSC Dauda Ibrahim, described reputation management as a collective responsibility.
He explained that the initiative was designed to enhance officers’ conduct, character and ethical standards, noting that the institutional image of the Service depends on the behaviour of individual officers.
In a related development, Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, ACG Mohammed Babandede, lauded the operational performance of the Western Marine Command during a working visit.
Babandede disclosed that Zone ‘A’ contributes between 85 and 90 per cent of the Service’s national revenue, underscoring its strategic importance within the Customs operational framework.
“Zone ‘A’ is critical to our operations. Officers must remain vigilant in revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling. Any goods that threaten national security, public health or safety must be intercepted without compromise,” he said.
While noting that the Western Marine Command is not primarily revenue-focused, the ACG commended its consistency in anti-smuggling operations, describing its enforcement performance as commendable.
The renewed emphasis on reputation management comes amid heightened public backlash of revenue-generating agencies, with Customs leadership seeking to align operational efficiency with ethical accountability to strengthen confidence in the Service.
