The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is strengthening its digital transformation and strategic communication efforts as part of measures to improve trade facilitation, enhance revenue generation and deepen engagement with stakeholders.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, while representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the 13th Annual Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.
Maiwada said the Service’s ongoing reforms, particularly the deployment of technology, required effective communication to ensure that stakeholders understood and embraced the changes.
“Our critical role in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling cannot be effective without effective communication,” he said.
He identified B’Odogwu as a key component of the Customs Service’s digital transformation programme, describing it as an innovative trade model that has continued to attract attention beyond Nigeria.
According to him, the Service is deploying technology and innovative approaches to make its operations more efficient while improving the experience of stakeholders involved in international trade.
Maiwada said the success of such reforms depended not only on technological deployment but also on the ability of the Service to communicate their objectives, processes and benefits effectively to importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders.
He also highlighted the NCS “Town and Gown” initiative, which seeks to strengthen collaboration between academic institutions and the Customs Service by connecting communication scholarship with professional practice.
The initiative, he said, had commenced at Bayero University, Kano, and in Port Harcourt, with plans to further expand academic participation in Customs engagements in 2027.
Maiwada said closer collaboration with communication scholars and professionals would provide the Service with access to contemporary research, professional expertise and emerging communication technologies.
He added that the partnership would equally give academic institutions greater exposure to practical issues surrounding Customs operations and institutional communication.
The ACSPN conference also examined the evolving communication landscape and the impact of emerging technologies on democracy and electoral processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his opening remarks, the ACSPN President, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, stressed the need for informed citizens, credible media and transparent institutions to sustain constitutional democracy.
A keynote presentation delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Sani Adam, also raised concerns over emerging digital threats, including deepfakes, AI-generated content and candidate impersonation.
The Customs engagement with ACSPN followed an earlier meeting on August 31, 2026, when the Service hosted the association’s leadership at its National Headquarters in Abuja to explore collaboration in digital communication, media engagement, professional development and stronger links between academia and the Customs Service.
The conference concluded with technical sessions on electoral communication and digital-age challenges, followed by a dinner and award ceremony recognising contributions to communication scholarship and professional practice.
