The Nigeria Customs Service and the World Customs Organization recognize the vital need for Customs leaders and managers to enhance their ability to lead reform and modernize their organizations through a renewed professional approach to the management and operations of Customs.
The Nigeria Customs Service hosts a major Regional Training Center at its Staff Command Training College in Gwagwalada, which supports the operational implementation of the WCO’s regional Capacity Building strategy. Building on the infrastructure of the Regional Training Center and on the Nigeria Customs Service’s own efforts in developing leadership and management development programs for its officers, the potential exists to develop a strengthened and sustainable program that combines Nigeria’s existing leadership program with best practices in modern management and 21st century Customs perspectives. A sustainable, in-house leadership and management development programme could potentially serve as a model for other Members in the West and Central African region and elsewhere. Under the World Bank-funded WCO Customs Capacity Enhancement project in Sub-Saharan Africa, a scoping team visited the Nigerian Customs Service to explore the development of such a program.
The scoping mission to formulate the forward plan for the development of in-house leadership and management development programs took place from April 29 to May 3, 2013 in Abuja and Lagos. Conducted by a team of WCO staff, it was coordinated by the Nigeria Customs Service through the Office of Vice-Chair for WCO West and Central African region, and placed under the overall authority of the Comptroller General of Customs of the Nigeria Customs Service. The mission benefited from a broad range of perspectives and field visits, including discussions with top management, front-line managers and supervisors and trainers.
One of the findings included that a great deal of the material that will be used to support the Nigeria Customs Service will be derived from the WCO’s leading-edge leadership and management development workshop. This highly-interactive workshop has been delivered more than 10 times around the world for the benefit of more than 200 senior Customs managers. The Nigeria Customs Service and the WCO will over the next months aim to further develop the Nigerian national program