By Julius Peter
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has charged officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to imbibe discipline, teamwork and strategic thinking in the discharge of their professional responsibilities, saying the values remain essential to effective operations and institutional success.
Adeniyi gave the charge on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the grand finale of the Zone ‘A’ Inter-Command Games held at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, Lagos.
The competition, which brought together officers and personnel from various commands within Zone ‘A’, ended with the Customs Police Unit emerging champions after securing a narrow 1–0 victory over a combined side from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command and the Lagos Industrial Area Command.
The tournament provided an opportunity for officers to demonstrate their sporting abilities while also reinforcing the importance of cooperation, discipline and healthy competition within the Service.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Comptroller-General congratulated the Zonal Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Mohammed Babandede, as well as members of the organising committee for what he described as a successful and seamless tournament.
Adeniyi said the organisation and conduct of the games reflected the three central pillars of his administration—consolidation, collaboration and innovation.
“I’ve seen those three pillars displayed exceptionally well this evening,” the CGC remarked.
According to him, the lessons derived from sporting competitions should extend beyond the playing field and become part of the everyday professional conduct of Customs officers.
He stressed that the ability to work effectively with colleagues, whether individually or as part of a larger team, was critical to the success of the Service.
“Whether you’re working in pairs or as a group, we need to cultivate that element of team spirit and teamwork. We must always look out for one another in everything we do,” Adeniyi said.
He added that discipline and strategic thinking were equally important attributes that officers must demonstrate in their daily assignments.
“The virtues of discipline, teamwork, and strategy are the key takeaways from a competition like this,” the CGC stated.
The Customs chief’s message came as the Zone ‘A’ Inter-Command Games drew to a competitive close, with participants from various commands battling for honours across several sporting disciplines.
On the football pitch, the Customs Police Unit proved its mettle by defeating the combined team of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command and Lagos Industrial Area Command by a lone goal.
The victory secured the tournament’s top football honour for the Customs Police Unit and provided a fitting conclusion to its campaign.
Reacting to the triumph, the Acting Provost Marshal and Head of the Customs Police Unit, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Salauwa Sanusi, credited the team’s success to careful planning, preparation and discipline.
Sanusi said the outcome was a product of the team’s commitment to getting every aspect of its preparation right before the competition.
“Everything boils down to preparedness. When you set your house in order and prepare thoroughly, the result will always be outstanding and that is exactly what played out today,” he said.
His remarks underscored one of the central themes of the games—that sporting success, like operational effectiveness, depends heavily on preparation, coordination and the ability of individuals to work towards a common objective.
Beyond football, the closing ceremony also featured the recognition of outstanding individual and team performances across other sporting disciplines.
Individual honours were presented to deserving participants, including the recipient of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, while trophies were also presented to commands and competitors who distinguished themselves in badminton, table tennis and chess.
The array of sporting disciplines provided participants with opportunities to showcase different forms of athletic and intellectual ability, further reinforcing the broad objectives of the inter-command games.
The successful conclusion of the Zone ‘A’ Inter-Command Games also highlighted the role of sports in promoting camaraderie among officers and strengthening relationships across commands.
For the Nigeria Customs Service, the event served not merely as a sporting competition but as an avenue to encourage unity, collaboration and a shared sense of responsibility among personnel.
The emphasis on teamwork was particularly significant as Customs operations often require officers to work collectively in carrying out enforcement, revenue collection, trade facilitation and other statutory responsibilities.
By urging officers to transfer the lessons of sports to their professional duties, Adeniyi challenged participants to view the competition as part of a broader effort to build a more cohesive and effective Service.
The victory of the Customs Police Unit, meanwhile, demonstrated the importance of preparation and collective effort, with Sanusi’s comments reinforcing the view that success is often determined long before the final contest begins.
As the curtains came down on the Zone ‘A’ Inter-Command Games, the event left behind both winners and valuable lessons for participants: that discipline sustains performance, teamwork strengthens collective action, and strategic preparation can make the difference between participation and victory.
