The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has begun a comprehensive first aid training for its officers and men, a move aimed at enhancing workplace safety and boosting emergency response capacity across its operations.
Declaring the programme open, Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the initiative reflects the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s commitment to staff welfare and operational readiness.
He described first aid competence as an essential life skill, particularly for officers who work in high-risk environments where immediate medical assistance may be unavailable.
Oshoba noted that timely interventions, such as CPR, bleeding control, choking relief and stroke recognition, often determine whether a victim survives or avoids long-term complications.
He warned that the absence of basic first aid knowledge during emergencies could result in preventable fatalities.
“In many cases, the person standing next to you becomes the emergency nurse or paramedic before a doctor is reached,” he said, emphasizing the need for customs personnel to serve as effective first responders.
He encouraged officers familiar with first aid techniques to treat the programme as a refresher course, while urging first-timers to fully engage in both theoretical and practical sessions. Hands-on practice, he stressed, is crucial to mastering life-saving procedures.
Leading the training, Comptroller A.S. Aku, Zonal Medical Officer for Zone B, conducted practical demonstrations including CPR and techniques for assisting choking victims.
He reminded officers that their actions within the first few minutes of an emergency could be the difference between life and death.
“At the end of this exercise, participants should understand the four goals of first aid, when to apply different types of first aid, and how to perform the techniques correctly. Emergencies happen around us, at work, at home, and among friends, and too often, people panic,” he said.
The training covered CPR, bleeding control, managing gunshot wounds, and handling bone and joint injuries, among other emergency scenarios.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the Customs Medical Corps First Aid Manual to Comptroller Oshoba by Comptroller Aku.
