The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has directed officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service to make intelligence the foundation of their daily operations, warning that “security enforcement and revenue collection cannot succeed without timely, credible and properly applied intelligence”.
Adeniyi delivered the charge during a programme at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Abuja, which marked the Service’s first formal training engagement of the year.
He described the programme as a defining moment capable of reshaping the professional outlook and operational effectiveness of participating officers.
He urged officers to approach the training as a period for measurable contribution to the Service and national development, stressing that their actions and decisions in the field must translate into concrete results for border security and revenue protection.
Drawing from recent global and domestic security experiences, the Comptroller-General referenced military and security operations across various regions, including within Nigeria, where intelligence-led efforts resulted in the interception of arms and ammunition.
He emphasised that operational success in such interventions consistently depends on accurate intelligence gathering and application.
According to him, “intelligence remains the common thread behind every successful military or paramilitary operation, stressing that Customs officers must appreciate its value beyond theory.”
He further encouraged participants to review technical papers earlier presented during the programme, noting that they contained practical insights directly relevant to real-world operations.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Assistant Comptroller General Dow Gaura, explained that intelligence functions as a silent but decisive driver of institutional effectiveness and transformation.
He said modern security and economic environments now demand officers who can collect, analyse and deploy intelligence with precision.
Gaura stated that the NCS has continued to prioritise intelligence-led training as part of its broader capacity-building framework, describing the programme as a critical stage in sharpening participants’ professional competence.
He noted that intelligence plays a central role in risk management, revenue safeguarding, the dismantling of smuggling networks and the protection of the national economy.
Gaura urged officers to engage in the training with discipline and seriousness, explaining that the Service’s management had deliberately assembled experienced facilitators, relevant learning materials and a structured environment to improve focus and learning outcomes.
While acknowledging that the training conditions might differ from what some participants were accustomed to, he said the approach was designed to strengthen discipline and operational concentration.
Senior officers who attended the opening ceremony included the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Human Resources Development, Tijjani Abe; the Deputy Comptroller General overseeing Training and Doctrine Command, Sulaiman Chiroma; and the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shu’aibu.
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