Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office has taken a strategic step to support global effort to end Wildlife Crime in Nigeria as it joins in celebrating the World Wildlife Day.
To further develop the capacity of the officers and men of the service in actualizing its objectives, tha NCS held meetings with a team of International partners and the United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) in Lagos.
According to the plans, It will further get training assistance to develop expertise, in addition to the provision of modern teaching aids to boost the facilities on ground at the Customs Training College, Ikeja.
The Commandant, Comptroller Haniel Hadison, who led the partners in an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities in the Customs Training College (CTC), told the visitors that the facility was ready to receive their support.
He said that “the Nigeria Customs Service already has the facilities, it is just about bringing them up to standard.
“Nigeria Customs cannot attain set objectives without collaborating with relevant organisations, and that is what we are experiencing at the moment.”
Hadison applauded the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, and the customs’ management team for their continued support for Special Wildlife Office of the service.
On the celebration of United Nations World Wildlife Day (WWD), Mr Hadison said that the wildlife office is re-strategising and “that is why the college, being where the wildlife office of the Nigeria Customs is domiciled, is hosting our international partners and their Donors.”
Also speaking on the institution’s areas of need for the capacity building, Hadison said; “Now that everything is centred around technology, we would need them (international partners) to bring in their capabilities and competencies in the use of technology in the fight against illegal activities.
He warned perpetrators of illegal wildlife trade and trafficking that the agency remained resolute in fighting such crimes in the country, stressing that the training is expected to begin in the next few months.
On her part, the officer in charge of the NCS Special Wildlife Office, a Counter Wildlife Crime expert and Technical Advisor, Abimbola Isafiade commended the visit of the collaborators, stating that “it means the agency is improving as the world is improving, and it means more successes for the future.”
“So, the capacity building will now go far and wide; we want to train practically all officers and men of Nigeria Customs Service and this is what this exercise has come to establish needs assessment,” Abimbola Isafiade added.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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