The maiden edition of a three-day collaborative dialogue between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), themed \u201cCollaborating for National Security and Development: A Blueprint for Nigeria Immigration and Customs Services,\u201d commenced on Wednesday at the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ibafon Apapa, Lagos.<\/p>\n
The event began with a vibrant parade following the ceremonial inspection of guards\u2014first by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, and subsequently by the Comptroller of Immigration Services, Comptroller Clementina O. Ogbudu, of the Lagos Seaport and Marine Command.<\/p>\n
Officers from both agencies were in attendance, marking a significant step toward strengthening operational synergy, particularly in maritime and border security.<\/p>\n
In his opening remarks, Comptroller Ntadi described the Customs and Immigration Service as \u201ctwins in service,\u201d emphasizing their shared institutional history and overlapping mandates.<\/p>\n
He recalled the agencies\u2019 former alignment under the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Services Board, noting that despite structural changes, their core relationship remains intact.<\/p>\n
He noted that there is no superiority issues as everyone has a role. “When the job suffers, the country suffers\u2014and that affects us all,\u201d he added, urging officers to prioritize national interest over personal or institutional rivalry.<\/p>\n
Comptroller Ntadi highlighted the shared challenges both agencies face, particularly in marine operations, where officers regularly confront smugglers, traffickers, and cross-border criminals.<\/p>\n
Comptroller Ntadi stressed that smugglers don\u2019t care whether one is a Customs or Immigration officer as they regard the two as enemy. He therefore said that the two organisations can’t be enemies to themselves..<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the parade and upcoming joint training exercises are part of a broader inter-agency initiative championed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, whose administration is focused on fostering collaboration across border enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n
The joint training programme, which began Wednesday, August 6, 2025, will culminate in a joint boat patrol and familiarisation exercise on Friday, aimed at deepening practical cooperation in marine environments.<\/p>\n
He commended the leadership of the Nigeria Immigration Service for its openness and hospitality, encouraging junior officers to emulate the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation.<\/p>\n
In her remarks, Comptroller Clementina Ogbudu expressed her delight at the renewed partnership, describing it as a powerful gesture of unity.<\/p>\n
She praised the officers\u2019 appearance and composure, promising that her command would maintain similar standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are from two different agencies, but we are working for one country\u2014for you and for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ogbudu emphasized the importance of honesty and openness throughout the dialogue.<\/p>\n
The event sets the tone for a new era of inter-agency cooperation, with both services committed to building trust, sharing intelligence, and working together to address Nigeria\u2019s complex security challenges.<\/p>\n
Photo Credit: Great Alternative Network.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The maiden edition of a three-day collaborative dialogue between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), themed \u201cCollaborating for National Security and Development: A Blueprint for Nigeria Immigration and Customs Services,\u201d commenced on Wednesday at the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ibafon Apapa, Lagos. The event began with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8322,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8320\/revisions\/8322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peoplesforumonline.com.ng\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}