Sea and Empowerment Research Centre (SEREC) has called for a sustained professional governance structure in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to forestall institutional regression. SEREC made the call in its executive brief issued to newsmen by its Head of Research, Dr Eugene Nweke, on Monday in Abuja.

Nweke noted that the NCS had recorded notable progress in digital modernisation, revenue growth, enforcement and stakeholder engagement, but said its sustainability remained vulnerable to leadership changes and policy inconsistency.

He said the transformation of the NCS into a modern trade facilitation institution would be best sustained under a career-driven, professional leadership structure that ensures reforms remain institutionally embedded and not personality-driven. “Historical deviations from this model, particularly non-specialist interventions have demonstrated the risks of policy disruption and institutional regression.

“To consolidate progress, Nigeria must draw a clear line under such experiments and reinforce a system where leadership emerges from within the service, institutional knowledge is preserved and professional progression drives governance.

“SEREC emphasises that the NCS must operate as a ‘relay institution’ where each administration strengthens inherited reforms, not resets them,” he said.

He acknowledged the efforts of the NCS ComptrollerGeneral(C-G), Bashir Adeniyi and his management team in advancing modernisation and aligning with legacy reform principles. Nweke emphasised that such achievements must be institutionalised for long-term impact.