The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has underscored the strategic importance of effective communication in driving institutional reforms, trade facilitation, revenue generation and stakeholder engagement, particularly through its B’Odogwu digital modernisation platform.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, stated this on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, while representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, at the 13th Annual Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), held at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.
Maiwada said communication remained critical to the successful implementation of the Customs Service’s mandate, stressing that technological and institutional reforms could only deliver their intended results when stakeholders were adequately informed and carried along.
“Our critical role in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling cannot be effective without effective communication,” he said.
According to him, the NCS has continued to deploy technology and innovative approaches to improve operational efficiency, enhance transparency and facilitate legitimate trade.
He identified B’Odogwu as a major component of the Service’s digital transformation agenda, describing it as an innovative trade model that is attracting attention beyond Nigeria.
Maiwada also highlighted the Customs Service’s “Town and Gown” initiative, which seeks to strengthen the relationship between academic institutions and professional practice in communication.
He disclosed that the initiative had commenced at Bayero University, Kano, and in Port Harcourt, with plans to expand and deepen the integration of academia into Customs engagements from 2027.
The Customs spokesman explained that closer collaboration with communication scholars and professionals would enable the Service to benefit from contemporary research, professional expertise and emerging communication technologies.
He added that the partnership would equally provide academic institutions with practical insights into Customs operations, trade facilitation and institutional communication.
The conference brought together communication scholars, media professionals and institutional stakeholders to examine the rapidly changing communication environment and the implications of emerging technologies for democracy and electoral processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his opening remarks, ACSPN President, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, stressed the importance of informed citizens, credible media and transparent institutions in sustaining constitutional democracy.
A keynote presentation delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Sani Adam, also highlighted emerging threats to electoral communication, including deepfakes, AI-generated content and candidate impersonation.
The NCS participation at the conference followed an earlier meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026, when the Service hosted the leadership of ACSPN at its National Headquarters in Abuja to explore areas of collaboration in digital communication, media engagement, professional development and stronger ties between academia and the Customs Service.
The conference subsequently featured technical sessions on electoral communication and challenges associated with the digital age, before concluding with a dinner and award ceremony recognising outstanding contributions to communication scholarship and professional practice.
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