750 NCS Officers For Training To Boost Capacity

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is to train 750 officers as part of its strategic staff development programme.

The Comptoller-Gerneral, Allahji Abdullahi Dikko, said that the officers would attend various short term courses at the Customs Staff College  in Abuja

Dikko, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer, Mr Wale Adeniyi, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.

Said that the 750 officers would cut across all cadres for the two weeks courses, adding that there would also be long term courses that would run for between six to nine months.

The Comptroller General explained that the training was meant to update the knowledge of the officers on new strategies in risk management towards achieving yearly revenue target.

He also said that the training would cover other areas, including the single window environment for customs clearance and integrated boarder management strategies, among.

“This year about 750 officers are already slated for training; the first set of officers that will be trained are the Customs Area Comptrollers, they have all been mobilised and 34 of them will start the two weeks training program.

“They are divided into two parts and each of them will spend two weeks at the training college in line with the policy of sustaining the college while the facilitators for the training will be drawn from within the service.

“They comprise officers who have been specifically trained to handle the modules and the curriculum of the college, they will be supported by consultants working on the customs modernisation project.’’

Dikko disclosed that the college would begin admission of students from West and Central Africa by the 2nd quarter of the year, assuring that all relevant facilities, including bi-lingual facilities would be installed before the period.