By Femi Anamelechi
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command has started a basic first aid training programme for officers and men to improve their well-being and work Output. The Customs Apapa Area Command Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the initiative as a crucial investment in workplace safety and operational readiness.The Comptroller while speaking to the NCS medical team to the Command, pointed out that the programme reflects the priority placed on staff welfare by the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.He highlighted the essence of the first aid. According to him “Knowledge is a universal life skill that every adult should possess, especially officers who are frequently exposed to high-risk operational environments.”
The CAC further reaffirmed that simple but timely interventions such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), bleeding control, choking relief and stroke recognition often determine whether a victim survives, fully recovers, or suffers preventable long-term damage.Oshoba warned that the absence of first aid capability during emergencies could lead to avoidable tragedies.He pointed out that Officers and Men were f Nigeria customs sometimes operate in locations where doctors, nurses and paramedics are not immediately available, making it essential for officers to serve as first responders.“The person standing next to you could be your emergency nurse or paramedic before a doctor is reached,” he said.The training underscored first aid’s role in reducing injury severity, controlling bleeding, relieving pain and stabilising victims who may be close to losing consciousness.
The Apapa Area Command Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba acknowledged that some officers are familiar with first aid procedures and further urged them to treat the programme as a vital refresher training programme.He advised officers particularly first-timers to Maximus and use the opportunity by fully engage with both the theoretical and practical sessions, he highlighted that hands-on application is critical to mastering emergency response skills.The Comptroller stated that he was confident that the participants would gain valuable competencies, describing the training as“time well spent” for the Command and the Service at large. The Medical Team Lead and Zonal Medical Officer for Zone B, Comptroller A.S Aku, guided the officers through hands-on sessions where every participant had the opportunity to demonstrate and practice CPR and techniques to assist someone who is choking, Stated that “The truth is that when there is an emergency, you are a first responder.
What you do in the first few minutes before help comes is very crucial. We are here to practice the basic skills that could save lives.“At the end of the exercise, we should understand the four goals of first aid and identify the different types of first aid, and when to administer them. We should also know about those techniques that we need. We have been encountering a lot of conditions whereby our bodies, our families, our friends require some form of assistance from us as a first responder. But most times, we panic,” Comptroller Aku remarked.The medical training included how to do CPR, dealing with bleeding, gunshot incidents, bone and joint injuries, among others.The training sessions witnessed the presentation of the Customs Medical Corps First Aid Manual by the Zonal Medical Officer, Zone B Customs Headquarters.
