As part of the WCO Women in Customs series, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Felicia Dadeboe Azuma, Assistant Commissioner and Sector Commander within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. A woman of vibrant energy and determination, Felicia revitalized underperforming sectors, led policy reforms, and drove revenue growth. Read on to discover her story.
WCO: Felicia, where do you come from and how did you find yourself in Customs?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: I am a proud Ghanaian from a town called Ada in the Greater Accra region. I entered Customs in 1992 as a Junior Collection Assistant, charged with supporting examination officers in inspecting imported goods.
I heard about Customs through a cousin who had come to live with my family because he had been employed by Customs and had to do his training in Accra. In the evening, he would tell us about his training and what he had learned.
I had been working as a secretary for a private firm for some time and was thinking about what to do next. He told me that the administration was recruiting junior officers through an examination. So, I followed his path: I took the exam, went for training, and started working.
I must tell you that I had met Customs officers before in other circumstances. When I was a child, I remember that people wearing uniforms visited my parents’ home regularly to conduct searches. My parents were traders. They were hardworking and entrepreneurial but did not always follow the law. A bulk of goods used to appear in our home and then disappear. It was a mix of general goods, fabrics, and cigarettes, bought in Togo or Benin and smuggled into Ghana by boat. My parents were moving this cargo from one house to another, sometimes several times a day, to hide it from Customs.
WCO: How did your parents react to your decision to join Customs?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: Thankfully, I did not have to choose between my family and my job. At the time I entered the administration, my dad had passed away, and my mother was no longer involved in smuggling activities. She couldn't believe it when I told her I wanted to become a Customs officer.
WCO: How did you develop your career?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: I started working at the Tema Port as an examination assistant. In 1999, I took a study leave and enrolled in the University of Ghana. After three years, I graduated with a Bachelor of Laws.
When I got back to work, I passed the examination to become Assistant Collector and worked at the airport, where I oversaw the examination, authorization, and inspection of imported goods, ensuring compliance with regulations and accurate record-keeping. At the same time, I was studying at the Ghana School of Law and earned my law degree in 2004.
From then on, I climbed the career ladder. I first occupied several positions in Tema and was then appointed as Sector Commander of the Ho collection district, not very far from Accra, close to Togo. I stayed there for four years and was able to raise the amount of revenue collected. My team and I exceeded the set target by an unprecedented margin in 2022 and nearly achieved the same success in 2024.
In 2024, I was put in charge of the Sunyani collection district, which was trailing in its revenue mobilization efforts by 51.76%. We worked hard, and in six months, we were able to get the service back on its feet. We closed 2024 with a positive revenue collection growth of 21.13%.
Since a few weeks now, I have moved to another collection district and have yet to discover what the specificities of trade flows in this region are and the challenges in terms of revenue collection and trade facilitation.
WCO: How do you explain these successes?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: I am highly disciplined and strict. I am also deeply motivated by what I do, which is serving my country. I have learned to mobilize staff so that they work better and give them a sense of purpose in their work. I have acquired a reputation, and I have seen that my presence alone has made a difference. Some teams that were not meeting their monthly targets exceeded their targets by 10% the first month after I took office.
When I arrive at a new collection district, I also engage with the local business community. For example, I ask to be invited by radio stations to discuss Customs issues, or I meet with traders at marketplaces to explain their civic rights and obligations. They often dislike Customs because they don't understand the purpose of the laws. I explain to them why and when they should pay duties. For example, small traders do not have to pay duties if they bring in 10 bags of rice across the border, but they do if they exceed their quota.
Land borders are porous, so I also cultivate contacts with police officers and other actors at the borders and checkpoints who can provide me with useful information on suspicious movements of people and goods. If they think a vehicle should be checked, for example, they simply give me a call.
WCO: What does a normal day consist of?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: I exercise every morning. Then I usually go to my office. I am in charge of seven border posts, which I regularly visit. During my spare time, I cook, attend choir practice when possible, and play the piano.
WCO: What about your family life?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: I got married and had two kids, a boy and a girl. They are adults now. My husband worked in the United States, but my family was here to support me. In Ghana, we are accustomed to relying on our extended family when help is needed. My mother came to live with me and the kids, and we brought in two cousins who wanted to come to Accra. So, I had mostly quality time with my children when I came back from work.
WCO: Did you encounter any obstacles as a woman?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: Ghana has changed a lot when it comes to the place of women in society, and so has the Customs administration.
When I started, we were only a few women passing the examination. It was a male-dominated environment, but it was the case for many institutions and businesses back then. I think some men were surprised or annoyed when women started speaking at meetings. Some roles were not assigned to women, especially at the borders. Men assumed that women would get pregnant and would have to leave early if their child was sick.
Early in my career, I worked at the Kotoka International Airport, and the women working there had established a Ladies Club. It was dormant when I arrived, and I was asked to take the presidency of the club and revive it. We organized meetings to discuss the issues women were facing, offer career advice, and motivate them to take advantage of educational opportunities. We also organized getaways and trips.
With time, Ghana society changed. Women were given various roles, with more and more responsibilities, and they excelled. Today, Ghana has a woman as Vice-president. At the Ghana Revenue Authority, several high-level positions are occupied by women, such as human resources, ethics, and good governance. Not long ago, a large majority of assistant commissioners were women. Unfortunately, several of them have recently retired.
I am deeply proud to have been part of the transformation that has led to the implementation of gender-sensitive policies, confidential reporting channels, and a more inclusive workplace for women in the Ghana Customs Service. Witnessing this shift and contributing to the empowerment of women in our institution has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.
WCO: Can you tell us about a project you are most particularly proud of?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: Not so long ago, I was asked to lead the Penalty Discipline Project, which aims at aligning Ghana Customs code on penalties with Article 6.3 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The article states that “Penalties imposed for legal or administrative breaches must be fairly grounded on objective facts and must be commensurate with the severity of the infringement. Its objective is to reduce the arbitrary imposition of penalties and avoid any conflict of interest in their assessment and collection."
In Ghana, the Commissioner had decided to impose the same level of penalty for all breaches at a rate of 300% to prevent Customs officers from making discretionary decisions. The problem was that many trade operators started to complain, and letters of mitigation piled up on the Commissioner's desk.
The team categorized the various customs offenses and listed the percentages to be imposed for each of them based on their magnitude. The system was accepted by the Commissioner and is now applied throughout the country.
WCO: What advice do you give to young professionals and women in particular?
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: I encourage young professionals - especially women - to believe in themselves. I tell them that with determination and focus, they can achieve whatever they set their minds to, just as I did. I tell them that people may try to bring them down or make assumptions about their capabilities, but that they must keep their heads up and never let that deter them from their path.
WCO: Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts with us.
Felicia Dadeboe Azuma: Thank you once again for the opportunity to share my story. I hope it inspires others to rise above their circumstances and embrace their potential.