By Nnasom David, Abuja

Reverso Business Services Limited has facilitated a high-level management training session for senior officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at its Headquarters in Abuja, focusing on the Sensitization and Internalization of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Implementation and the Business Facilitation Act (BFA) 2022.

The training brought together members of NCS management, including Comptroller General Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), Deputy Comptrollers General, and Assistant Comptrollers General, with the aim of strengthening institutional understanding and compliance with national business climate reform directives.

Key reform priorities under the BFA 2022—such as transparency, efficiency, automation, default approval mechanisms, and inter-agency coordination—were addressed during the session. Participants engaged in technical presentations, case studies, and practical discussions examining Customs’ performance under the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) framework, including historical compliance trends and operational gaps identified in recent assessments.

Speaking during the session, Reverso’s Managing Partner, Mr. Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, highlighted the strategic role of the Nigeria Customs Service in driving Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.

“The Nigeria Customs Service sits at the heart of Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business agenda. As the primary gatekeeper of trade, every import and export passes through Customs. How Customs operates directly shapes the experience of businesses, investors, and the wider economy. Strengthening institutional capacity within NCS is therefore critical to building a more efficient and competitive business environment for Nigeria,” Ojeniyi said.

The training also explored leadership and organisational effectiveness, with discussions on building high-performing executive teams, leadership accountability, collaboration, communication, trust, and performance management. These themes were linked to effective reform implementation and institutional alignment.

Participants reviewed performance data showing notable improvement in NCS compliance between 2023 and 2025, particularly across efficiency and transparency indicators, reflecting the Service’s recent reform efforts.

The session concluded with the development of actionable reform and leadership plans aimed at enhancing service delivery, reducing clearance bottlenecks, improving inter-agency coordination, and strengthening the Nigeria Customs Service’s contribution to Nigeria’s business and investment environment.

Reverso Business Services Limited is a public-sector consultancy that supports governments and institutions across Africa to strengthen institutional capacity, implement reforms, and deliver impactful policy outcomes, providing end-to-end support from strategy design to execution.