First Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Human Resources Management, in Abuja, Nigeria

In recognition for the importance of human resources for all Customs administrations, the West and Central Africa region, in close cooperation with the WCO Secretariat and the Regional Office for Capacity Building, held the 1st meeting of the Regional Working Group (RWG) on the improvement of human resources management. This group, under the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service, was established during the last Regional Conference of Customs Directors General, as a way to further develop the administrations in a number of priority areas.

This first meeting of the RWG, held in Abuja, Nigeria from 1 to 3 December focused on the review of the Terms of Reference and the preparation of a workplan that will result in the development of tools and recommendations to support Members in the region, in strengthening their national training and HR management regimes. More specifically, the RWG will propose models for the establishment of a national training programme and infrastructure, it will also develop a model entry-level training curriculum for new Customs recruits. Its first deliverable will be the publication of a position paper on the value and necessity of investing in training for Customs administrations in the West and Central Africa region.

Over the course of the meeting, participants had the opportunity to gain insight into available WCO tools and instruments related to training and HR management. A number of participating administrations also were able to present their respective current training programmes and challenges.

The RWG is set to continue over the coming years and will also look at innovative ways to motivate Customs personnel. A second meeting of the RWG is scheduled to be held in September 2010.