The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has started preparing for its 2026 basic training programme with a retreat for trainers in Lagos.

The retreat held on Wednesday at the Customs Training College brought together trainers in drill, medicals, security, sports and other areas of the Service’s training programme.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the retreat was part of new measures to bring all trainers onto one platform instead of having them work in separate groups. Adeniyi, who was represented by Frank Onyeka, Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, asked the trainers to work as a team and review the training modules so they can produce officers the Service and the society will be proud of.

He warned that working in isolation would hurt the results they want. “If you don’t work like a team, you will not get the desired results. Working in silos will not give us what we want, but if you come together as a team, it is a natural answer,” he said.

He also told heads of the various training units to take full responsibility for their areas while staying open to ideas from others. According to him, nobody has a monopoly of knowledge, and trainers should not dismiss their colleagues’ views. “To deliver this process and to get the desired results, all of us must work as one,” Adeniyi said.

He recalled his time as a trainer in 2008 and 2009, noting that many officers trained then have risen through the ranks, with some now serving as Controllers. He said their success was partly due to the teamwork of trainers at the time.

Speaking on why the retreat was introduced, Adeniyi said the Service used to train its trainers in segments, meeting different resource persons and instructors at different times. The new approach brings everyone under one roof so they share a common understanding and work towards the same goal.

“You bring a resource person, talk to them. You bring the drill instructors, talk to them. It was taking time. So, instead of breaking these segments, we brought everybody under one roof for the same purpose, to get the same results and drive towards the same purpose,” he said. He added that the approach would save time and improve coordination among trainers before the programme begins.

On the new recruits, Adeniyi asked them to show discipline, perseverance and calmness throughout their training. “They should be calm, they should be gentle, they should have perseverance, and they should exhibit a very high level of discipline,” he said.

Earlier, in her welcome address, the Commandant of the Ikeja Training College, Deputy Comptroller Precious Atah, described the retreat as the first of its kind. She said it was important for setting the pace of the training programme and urged trainers to take part with an open mind.

Also speaking, the Coordinator of the retreat, retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs Greg Itotoh, told the trainers not to hold back during discussions, saying that way grey areas would be exposed and solutions would come easily.