Foremost scanning service provider in the nation’s international trade sector, Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited (CDIL), has graduated nine Senior Customs officers who were recently trained in general scanner operations and image analysis.

The officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) who fall between the ranks of Assistant Comptrollers and Comptrollers were certified as capable of carrying out the specialised import trade operations at the Scanner Site of the Apapa Ports Complex.

Comptroller-General  of the Service, Abdullahi Inde Dikko, whom the Area Comptroller of the premier Apapa port, Yusuf Garko represented at the closing ceremony, thanked the service provider for the quality of training it had so far delivered to different cadres of NCS officers.

The graduation of the nine senior officers brings to 1,648 the number of officers and men of the service who have been trained by CDIL in various aspects of customs operations since the scheme commenced in 2006.

Another set of 13 officers were recently trained in March, on the use of modern tools to carry out Valuation and Classification. The officers underwent 2-month classroom and experiential training at the Valuation and Classification Centre (VCC) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The Apapa Ports Area Comptroller remarked that through the trainings from Cotecna, “it is evident that customs men have become the envy of other agencies that see us as expert in the international trade business”.

Comptroller Garko therefore expressed the hope that, the knowledge learnt by the officers will be put into positive use for the benefit of the service and the nation’s economy in general.

“We thank God for giving the service a virile and committed leadership under the current CG who have made it possible for officers to acquire training opportunities in various fields to develop themselves and ultimately lead to improvement of the Customs operations”, he added.

Responding on behalf of the graduating officers, Comptroller Liman Maina, expressed gratitude to the service provider for the quality of lectures, tours and other practical aspects of the training programme which they were exposed to.

He noted that before now, some of the participants had negative impression of the scanner operations, “but now, we have come to understand that the use of the scanner technology will improve our performance in line with global best practices”.

While extolling the virtues of Cotecna, Maina enthused that “government has made the right decision by appointing Cotecna to man the nation’s Destination Inspection Scheme…and the company has proved to be a leader in the industry. He called on the CAC to in the spirit of the Service, encourage the utilization of scanners in clearing cargos out of the port.

“The various trainings provided by Cotecna and others have now prepared the Customs Service with the requisite knowledge and skills to take over the management and operations of the scheme when the time comes”, he added.

Earlier, in his remark Deputy Managing Director of CDIL, Mr. Ernest Woka who represented the Managing Director Alhaji Tayo Rabiu pointed out that one of the objectives of the training and capacity building programmes, is to provide a platform for interaction on critical issues such as scanning with the Nigeria Customs Service with the aim of identifying means for improvement. He said the training scheme was deliberately scripted to share the experiences of the officers in some core areas of customs operations.

While noting that training and capacity building is one of the ways forward for meaningful development, Mr. Woka thanked the officers for their zeal and enthusiasm in attending the training.

He noted that the two scanners deployed by Cotecna in Apapa and Tincan Ports are of the best scanning technology in the world, and first of their kind to be installed anywhere in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nkpemenyie MCdominic, Lagos