NCS Leadership Transition: Why 2009, 2011 Customs Officers Are Ready for the Future

By Innocent Orok

“Change is a fundamental and constant part of life that shapes our growth, resilience and personal evolution.”

The common saying that “change is the only constant phenomenon in life” is a truism. And for those who want change, they must be the change they wish to see in the world. This fact has come to stay in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). No doubt, skeptics until recently were uncertain about the future of the NCS, especially with the exit of senior officers who were regarded as the strong engine room of the service in the last two decades.

It is no longer news that in the next five months, the NCS will witness a totally new order, both in management and administrative structure, where a new generation of officers will mount the rostrum after the exodus of older officers who are retiring either at age 60 or after the mandatory 35 years in service.

It is also no longer news that the Service Management under Comptroller-General (Dr) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, has invested heavily to train these officers both at home and abroad, and is fully prepared for the leadership transition in the NCS.

However, since this impending leadership change, there has been so much hullabaloo about the emergence of the new NCS management, especially the fear of the unknown regarding the style, conduct and character of the officers tagged “Gen-Z officers”. Some stakeholders have alleged that they exhibit arrogance, corrupt tendencies and an unwillingness to listen to stakeholders’ complaints, while always asking for money or demanding large sums for small jobs. This alleged character mismatch is growing by the day in the minds of stakeholders, and it is very disturbing.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead.

Change in the NCS has become sacrosanct because leadership, especially in any government agency or organisation, is a continuum. As such, the NCS must continue to exist to carry out its statutory functions for the country. To this end, NCS management has invested sufficient resources to train young officers of the 2009/2011 sets, who are the next cadre of officers on whom the leadership baton now rests. These officers, too, are ready to take over leadership roles in the service.

WHY THE BATON OF LEADERSHIP FALLS ON THE 2009/2011 SET OF OFFICERS

As in one of Bob Marley’s greatest hits, “Who the cap fit, let them wear it.” By providence, the next generation of Customs leadership has fallen on the shoulders of the Deputy Comptrollers of the 2009 set and some of the 2011 set. This is not by their making or design, but by the “doctrine of necessity” and administrative providence.

For those who have been following NCS developments over the years, there was an employment embargo placed on federal government agencies on recruitment in the 1980s. For the NCS, for more than 10 years it did not recruit, while officers were retiring in droves. It was not until 2009, under the late Abdullahi Dikko Inde as Comptroller-General of the NCS, that the jinx was broken through a major recruitment exercise of young officers into the service. That recruitment exercise produced the 2009 set of officers, and another carried out in 2011 produced the 2011 set. These officers are the ones standing in the gap to carry on the future of the Customs Service in Nigeria today.

Even after the 2009 recruitment exercise, the then federal government policy of disparity between BSc (degree) holders and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders further balkanised service personnel into serious rank-and-structure threats. These are some of the damages that happened to the NCS and that have led to the situation it finds itself in today.

To ensure that the NCS remains and maintains its status as a top-notch professional government agency, carrying out its statutory functions professionally and effectively, the present management of the service has allayed stakeholders’ fears that the new crop of officers will not perform well in carrying out the service’s mandate. Management has embarked on, and is still carrying out, intensive training programmes for officers. So much human and material resources have been deployed in both local and international training workshops to brace up the officers for the leadership challenges ahead.

According to CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, during one of the trainings of Deputy Comptrollers of Customs in Lagos recently, the officers in the last one year have been vigorously trained in all spheres of management and professional leadership roles. He expressed confidence that they will be handing over to tested, trusted and dedicated officers who will not disappoint the service and Nigerians.

To test-run their capacity, competence, patriotism and professional leadership prowess, some Deputy Comptrollers of Customs are holding key positions at both command and unit levels. Among them are:

Deputy Comptroller Patience Ita, Acting Customs Area Controller of Ondo/Ekiti Command, who is leading with intention and guts, to stakeholders’ admiration.

Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, Acting Customs Area Controller of one of Nigeria’s most volatile and busy borders at Ogun 1 Command, Idiroko. His performance there speaks volumes, and he is changing the narrative.

Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, Acting Customs Area Controller of Nigeria’s busiest RORO port at PTML Command. He is showing class and building stakeholders’ confidence. Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Adigun at KLT Command, who is diligently performing his duties with professional conduct and skills.

Also in the performance index are DC Adamu U.U. of Kano/Jigawa Command, DC Olusola Salako of Lilypond Export Terminal, and DC Ntongha Edet of Eastern Marine Command. They are all well-groomed officers who are ready for leadership roles in the service. Even the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, is doing very well in image management of the service, which has won the service national and international recognition. There are several other grounded officers of both the 2009 and 2011 sets in various commands and units of the service, performing professionally and ready for leadership roles.

No doubt, the Nigeria Customs Service must evolve, and it needs its various stakeholders to carry out its statutory functions and duties effectively. To this end, all stakeholders have been given the assurance that there is nothing to fear about the emergence of the new set of officers. They therefore need their support and encouragement.

It is a known fact that the new leadership in the NCS will be more IT-driven, as stipulated in the NCS Act 2023 and the World Customs Organization (WCO) Convention on Modernised Customs Administrations, which has to do with seamless transactions to cut down delays in trade and business transactions across borders.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Again, as the common saying goes in our local parlance, “If you want to catch a monkey, behave like a monkey,” it is my candid opinion that the various stakeholders, especially Customs-licensed agents, freight forwarders, manufacturers, etc., should up their game, especially in the areas of technology and digital services. No doubt, the new Customs will come with huge technological know-how that, if not matched by stakeholders’ knowledge, will create a dichotomy between the parties.

The new Customs will come with new WCO tools such as Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), Time Release Study (TRS), E-Manifest, among others. If stakeholders are not in sync and in step with this new order, then there will be a disconnect between the service and stakeholders. So, instead of crying over whether the new Customs leadership will do well or not, it is left to stakeholders to match up with the changes that will emerge. The new leadership of Customs will surely come on board when the time comes.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” — Rumi

It is my candid opinion that we should all rally round to support the new leadership of the Customs that will emerge. Whichever way we look at it, let us support them, encourage them and wish them well. Fighting them, judging them, blaming them, accusing them or suspecting them, even when they have not taken over yet, is not encouraging at all. All over the world, young people are taking over leadership positions and are doing very well. Let us give the young officers a chance. Who knows? With their training, capacity-building and leadership skills, plus Gen-Z tactics, they may turn out to be the best crop of Customs officers Nigeria deserves.

Leadership is not by age, size or connection; leadership is inspired by training, determination and the ability to deliver on set goals and objectives. If you don’t try them, you cannot measure or judge them.

“Don’t just learn, experience. Don’t just read, absorb. Don’t just change, transform. Don’t just relate, advocate. Don’t just promise, prove. Don’t just criticize, encourage. Don’t just think, ponder. Don’t just take, give. Don’t just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don’t just hear, listen. Don’t just talk, act. Don’t just tell, show. Don’t just exist, live.” — Roy T. Bennett