By Bose Olamide
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stressed the importance of effective communication in driving institutional reforms, trade facilitation, revenue generation and stakeholder engagement.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, stated this on Wednesday, 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) held at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.
Maiwada said technological and institutional reforms could only achieve their intended objectives when properly communicated to stakeholders.
He said, “Our critical role in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling cannot be effective without effective communication.”
The Customs spokesman said the Service had continued to deploy technology and innovative approaches to improve its operations, citing the B’Odogwu digital modernisation platform as a key component of its transformation agenda.
According to him, B’Odogwu represents an innovative trade model that is attracting attention beyond Nigeria, underscoring the need for effective communication to ensure stakeholders understand and embrace the reforms.
Maiwada also highlighted the NCS “Town and Gown” initiative, which seeks to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional communication practice.
He disclosed that the initiative had commenced at Bayero University, Kano, and in Port Harcourt, with plans to deepen the involvement of academia in Customs engagements from 2027.
He said stronger collaboration with communication scholars and professionals would enable the NCS to benefit from contemporary research, professional expertise and emerging communication technologies, while academic institutions would gain practical insights into Customs operations and institutional communication.
The conference brought together communication scholars, professionals and institutional stakeholders to examine the 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, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji, stressed the importance of informed citizens, credible media and transparent institutions to the sustenance of constitutional democracy.
A keynote presentation delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Sani Adam, highlighted emerging threats to electoral communication, including deepfakes, AI-generated content and candidate impersonation.
The NCS participation followed an earlier meeting with the ACSPN leadership on Monday, August 31, at the Service’s National Headquarters in Abuja, where both sides explored collaboration in digital communication, media engagement, professional development and stronger links between academia and the Customs Service.
The conference featured technical sessions on electoral communication and challenges posed by the digital age before culminating in a dinner and award ceremony recognising outstanding contributions to communication scholarship and professional practice.
