The Maritime Editors and
Reporters covering  the maritime industry have been taken through a two- day rigorous training on basic customs modern clearing procedures.
The stakeholders training was held last week at the ICT Centre, Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Lagos.
On the first day of the programme, the Assistant Comptroller – General of Customs (ACG) Zone A , Mr. Victor Gbemudu commissioned the newly installed ultra modern equipment and 1:60m communication tower at the command.
The participants were also lectured   on the importance of stakeholders relationship, customs and media.
For a cordial relationship with the public, the participants were also taught the basics of communication skills development and wonders of motivations, modern customs & interpersonal skill as well as General import procedure basic.
Speaking with journalists at the end of the training programe, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Mr. Charles Edike said that “all over the world, capacity building takes a lot of funding, because capacity building will transform the structures and the institutions, as well as the personnel of those institution.
He advised the participants, that as “teachers they should help the Customs by educating the business community on the modern customs clearing procedures.
Compt. Edike said over 50 journalists graduated from the 1st quarter of a free training programme on e-payment and e-remittance, organised by his command, as part of building capacity in the maritime sector.
While presenting certificates of attendance to the journalists, the Apapa Area Comptroller said, they were taken on number of courses, which include, “new customs valuation method, historical overview of the harmonised system, modern customs and interpersonal skill, general import procedure, enforcement, customs exercise and management act (CEMA), PAAR, challenges and success,  integrity and Documentation/ASCUDA, General application on the Rule of origin amongst others,” He enjoined them to put into practice what they had learnt.
“ The graduation is a landmark achievement which was born out of the passion of the Customs Comptroller General, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde Dikko to empower the maritime journalists by building capacity in all aspect of their profession, in the recently introduced e-payment in trade facilitation process,” he said adding that it is necessary for maritime journalists to brace up to the global trend.