By Peace Udugba
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Medical Unit on Monday, 11 May 2026, commenced its 7th Annual Medical Corps Retreat in Katsina State with the theme: “Operational Wellbeing: Protecting Health to Protect Borders.”
The five-day retreat is designed to strengthen the capacity of medical personnel through professional engagement, policy review, strategic planning, and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, healthcare professionals, and experts across the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Tijjani Abe, welcomed participants and reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and staff welfare.
He noted that the retreat remains an important platform for professional interaction, exchange of ideas, policy review, and strategic planning aimed at improving medical services within the Service.
“A healthy workforce remains the backbone of operational efficiency, productivity, and institutional effectiveness,” he said.
He further emphasized the Service’s commitment to initiatives that enhance the welfare, capacity, and working conditions of its medical personnel.
Adeniyi also appreciated the Government and people of Katsina State for hosting the event and encouraged participants to build stronger professional relationships and share experiences that would improve healthcare delivery within the Service.
In his welcome address, the Head of the Customs Medical Unit, Ethelbert Nnaji, expressed appreciation to Customs management, particularly the Comptroller-General and the Human Resource Development Directorate, for their support in strengthening the Service’s healthcare system.
He explained that the annual retreat provides an opportunity to review the performance of the Customs Medical Corps and develop recommendations to guide management in improving healthcare services.
According to him, the choice of Katsina State was informed by the extensive Customs operations in the state and the need to strengthen relationships with host communities for effective service delivery.
He also disclosed that the Service would conduct a free medical outreach in Daura as part of its corporate social responsibility activities during the retreat.
“We intend to explore 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 State Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu Funtua, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for prioritising the health and welfare of its personnel.
He praised the leadership of the Comptroller-General for promoting people-centred policies that strengthen institutional care and operational effectiveness.
“A healthy workforce is essential to effective service delivery and the attainment of organisational goals and objectives,” he said.
The governor’s representative also commended the strong relationship between the NCS and the people of Katsina State, as well as the contributions of facilitators from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and other institutions.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone “B”, Nsikan Umoh, appreciated the Katsina State Government, Customs leadership, participants, and stakeholders for their support in making the retreat a success.
The retreat featured paper presentations by health experts from across the country, aimed at equipping participants with modern approaches to improving service delivery within the Customs Medical Corps.
It is expected to conclude with a large-scale free medical outreach in Daura, Katsina State, alongside visits to selected health facilities for benchmarking and assessment.
