Customs Launches Massive Free Medical Outreach in Katsina Border Communities

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

The Nigeria customs Service has intensified efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and operational wellbeing within its workforce with the commencement of its 7th Annual Medical Corps Retreat in Katsina State.
The five-day retreat, organised by the Customs Medical Unit under the theme, “Operational Wellbeing: Protecting Health to Protect Borders,” brought together senior Customs officers, medical experts, healthcare administrators and stakeholders from across the country to examine emerging health challenges, institutional healthcare reforms and strategies for improving medical support for personnel working in difficult operational environments.
As part of the programme, the Service also unveiled plans for a large-scale free medical outreach targeting residents of Daura and surrounding communities in Katsina State under its corporate social responsibility initiative.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Tijjani Abe, reaffirmed the commitment of the Service to improving healthcare delivery and enhancing staff welfare across Customs formations nationwide.
According to him, the annual retreat has evolved into a strategic platform for reviewing operational health policies, strengthening institutional healthcare systems and building the professional capacity of medical personnel within the Service.
“A healthy workforce remains the backbone of operational efficiency, productivity and institutional effectiveness,” he stated.
Adeniyi further stressed that the effectiveness of security institutions depends significantly on the physical and mental wellbeing of personnel responsible for protecting national borders and facilitating trade.
He added that the current Customs management remains focused on initiatives aimed at improving working conditions, boosting morale and ensuring that medical personnel are adequately equipped to respond to emerging healthcare demands.
The Customs boss also appreciated the Katsina State Government and residents for hosting the retreat, describing the state as strategic to Customs operations because of its extensive border and commercial activities.
In his welcome address, Head of the Customs Medical Unit, Ethelbert Nnaji, commended the leadership of the Service for sustaining support towards improving healthcare services available to officers and personnel.
Nnaji explained that the retreat remains one of the Service’s most important annual professional engagements because it enables the Medical Corps to assess performance, review operational strategies and develop recommendations capable of improving healthcare delivery across Customs commands nationwide.
He disclosed that Katsina State was deliberately selected as the venue because of its strategic importance to Customs border operations and the need to strengthen relations between the Service and host communities along border corridors.
According to him, healthcare support for border communities remains essential in building trust, improving cooperation and strengthening the human dimension of border management operations.
“We intend to explore options, orthodox practices and technological innovations that will bring quality healthcare closer to our officers wherever they operate,” he added.
Declaring the retreat open, Governor Umar Dikko Radda, represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu Funtua, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for prioritising the welfare and wellbeing of its personnel.
He described the initiative as a demonstration of responsible institutional leadership, noting that a healthy workforce remains critical to effective service delivery and the achievement of organisational goals.
The retreat featured technical paper presentations by health experts drawn from institutions including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and other medical organisations, exposing participants to emerging healthcare trends and modern operational medical strategies.
Customs Area Controllers under Zone “B”, senior officers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders attended the opening ceremony.
The retreat is expected to climax with a large-scale free medical outreach in Daura alongside visits to selected health facilities for institutional assessment, benchmarking and learning.