The Nigeria Customs Service Apapa Command has played host to students from Corona Primary School Gbagada, as part of efforts to educate the younger generation about the role of the service in national development.
The students visited the command on 8th April, 2025 and were given a tour of the command, terminals and scanning site.
During the visit, Assistant Comptroller Usman Abubakar, gave the students a comprehensive breakdown of the various departments within the command which are assessment, examination, enforcement, and revenue collection.
AC Abubakar, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the NCS and other stakeholders in facilitating trade while preventing smuggling and revenue leakage.
Assistant Comptroller Nura Ibrahim Mikko, the Acting DC Revenue of the command, during a tour around the command said that the essence of the facility tour with the pupils is to imbibe in them what the NCS stands for and also to change the narrative of how the general public sees the service.
He also said that the Nigeria Customs Service its not just about enforcement, trade facilitation and revenue generation he said it’s about partnership and they hold the members of the public at high esteem and that is why they are always excited to have them in their midst.
“ We have succeeded in educating them on trade facilitation, the removal of bottlenecks in the system and how we are able to achieve a 24hours cargo clearance without delay. Just like the saying goes time is money so we don’t compromise when it comes to trade facilitation because it helps in generating more revenue for the service and more profits for the importers.
“ It’s a good thing they are being taught about the Nigeria Customs Service because their visit to the command today will widen their scope about the service in general and in nearest future we may have some of them in the service.
Mrs Chikerenma Aboloko , a teacher at the school while speaking with journalists on the rationale behind the excursion, said the visit to the command aims to promote awareness and understanding of customs procedures among young Nigerians, fostering a sense of patriotism and civic responsibility.
She disclosed that the visit to the command will leave a lasting impression on both the students and their teacher as the excursion was part of their social studies lessons, aiming to educate them about government agencies adding that the students were fascinated by the various departments and operations within the service, exceeding their initial expectations.
“ The visit has sparked interest among the students, with some expressing aspirations to become customs officers. The exposure to the service’s multifaceted role has broadened their understanding of career possibilities within the Nigerian government.
” We just decided to come here to get a firsthand experience on what the Nigeria Customs Services do. And from what I’m seeing so far, the pupils are wishing to work in the service. They’ve seen something that made them want to be part of it. I’ve learned so much myself, because I didn’t even know that some of these things exist.”
