The Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada says 199 officers across various commands have so far been trained since the inception of the institution in 2016.
The College Commandant, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Elaja Chikan made this known at the graduation of Junior Course three, 2019 in Abuja on Friday last week.
The college commenced official training of staff in 2016 after the assumption of office by the present Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd).
Chikan explained that so far, the college had trained 119 in Junior courses, while 80 graduated from the senior cadre.
“Since the commencement of the college, we have trained 80 officers in Junior course and today’s graduands will bring the total of officers in Junior course to 119.
“In the past, 80 officers were trained under the Senior Course and by May, another set of Senior officers will resume at the college,’’ he said.
He said the college was established to boost the skills of officers and men to be more professional in discharging their duties.
Also speaking, Ali decried inadequate funding of the institution and appealed to relevant stakeholders to work with the service to ensure improved funding.
Represented by the Acting Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Human Resources Department, Umar Sanusi, Ali said that funding of the college was always captured in the Nigeria Customs Service’s budget.
“I am calling on the customs’ board to join us in this effort to ensure funding of the college is increased in order to meet up its day to day activities,’’ he said.
The comptroller-general congratulated the graduands and urged them to reflect what they had learnt during the three months’ course in their daily operations.
