The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified its fight against the illegal trade in environmentally sensitive commodities with a 4-day _Train the Trainers_ workshop aimed at boosting officers’ capacity to enforce environmental trade regulations.
The workshop, held *June 8–11, 2026*, brought together Customs officers for intensive sessions on environmental governance, trade control measures, enforcement strategies, and inter-agency collaboration. The training is designed to strengthen compliance with international environmental conventions such as CITES.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, represented by ACG Strategic Research and Policy Nafiu Isiyaku, commended stakeholders for supporting the programme. Adeniyi said the real test would be in application: “The success of the training will be measured not only by the knowledge acquired by participants but by their ability to transfer such knowledge to other officers and translate it into improved operational outcomes across Customs formations.”
“We have explored critical issues relating to environmental governance, trade control measures, enforcement strategies and inter-agency collaboration, all of which are essential to protecting our environment and securing our borders,” Adeniyi added.
Also speaking, ITC Regional Programme Officer Richard Eke-Motoho lauded NCS for building in-house expertise. He said the workshop would create a larger pool of national trainers who could serve as regional resource persons, thereby strengthening capacity across West Africa and promoting sustainable trade.
The International Trade Centre and GIZ, partners on the programme, pledged to continue collaborating with NCS on initiatives that promote regional integration and economic development. Customs said the newly trained officers will cascade the training to commands nationwide in the coming weeks.
