By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigeria Customs Service on Monday commenced its 7th Annual Medical Corps Retreat in Katsina State as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery, improve staff welfare and enhance operational readiness across its commands nationwide.
The retreat, themed “Operational Wellbeing: Protecting Health to Protect Borders,” brought together medical personnel, senior Customs officers and healthcare experts from across the country for strategic discussions on institutional healthcare reforms, capacity building and modern approaches to medical service delivery within the Service.
As part of activities lined up for the five-day programme, the Customs Service also announced plans to conduct a free medical outreach in Daura and neighbouring communities under its corporate social responsibility initiative.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Tijjani Abe, said the Service remains committed to improving healthcare support and welfare packages for personnel.
He described the retreat as an important avenue for professional interaction, policy review and strategic planning aimed at strengthening healthcare services within the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to him, operational effectiveness within security institutions depends largely on the health and wellbeing of personnel.
“A healthy workforce remains the backbone of operational efficiency, productivity, and institutional effectiveness,” he stated.
Adeniyi noted that the Service has continued to prioritise initiatives capable of improving the capacity, welfare and working conditions of medical personnel operating within Customs formations nationwide.
He also appreciated the Katsina State Government for hosting the retreat and encouraged participants to use the opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen professional relationships.
In his remarks, the Head of the Customs Medical Unit, Ethelbert Nnaji, said the annual retreat allows the Medical Corps to assess its performance and develop recommendations that would improve healthcare delivery within the Service.
“The NCS Medical Retreat provides the opportunity for the review of the performance of the Customs Service Medical Corps and to develop recommendations that will guide management toward improving healthcare services within the Service,” he said.
Nnaji disclosed that Katsina was chosen as the host state because of its strategic importance to Customs operations and the need to strengthen relationships with communities around border areas.
He said the Service would also use the retreat to deepen its humanitarian and social intervention programmes through free healthcare services targeted at residents of Daura and nearby communities.
“We intend to explore options, orthodox practices, and technological innovations that will bring quality healthcare closer to our officers wherever they operate,” he added.
Declaring the retreat open, the Governor of Katsina State, Umar Dikko Radda, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu Funtua, commended the Customs Service for prioritising the health needs of its personnel.
He said a healthy workforce remains critical to achieving institutional goals and effective service delivery.
“A healthy workforce is essential to effective service delivery and the attainment of organisational goals and objectives,” he stated.
The governor’s representative also praised the cordial relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the people of Katsina State while acknowledging the contributions of resource persons and facilitators participating in the retreat.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Zonal Coordinator of Zone “B”, Nsikan Umoh, appreciated the Katsina State Government, Customs management and stakeholders for supporting the retreat.
The event featured technical paper presentations by healthcare experts from various institutions, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, aimed at exposing participants to modern healthcare strategies and operational medical practices.
Senior Customs officers, Area Controllers, healthcare professionals and stakeholders from across the country attended the ceremony.
The retreat is expected to end with a large-scale free medical outreach in Daura and visits to selected health facilities for assessment and institutional benchmarking.
Customs Begins Medical Retreat in Katsina, Rolls Out Free Healthcare Programme for Border Communities
