By Miriam Humbe
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has highlighted the strategic role of communication in advancing institutional reforms, trade facilitation, revenue generation and stakeholder engagement, with particular emphasis on its B’Odogwu digital modernisation platform.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, stated this on Wednesday, 2 September 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) held at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.
Maiwada stressed that communication was indispensable to the effective implementation of the Service’s mandate, noting that technological and institutional reforms could only achieve their intended objectives when properly communicated to stakeholders.
“Our critical role in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling cannot be effective without effective communication,” he said.
He explained that the NCS had continued to deploy technology and innovative approaches to improve its operations, citing B’Odogwu as a major component of the Service’s digital transformation agenda and an innovative trade model attracting attention beyond Nigeria.
The Customs spokesman also highlighted the Service’s “Town and Gown” initiative, designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional practice in communication.
He noted that the initiative had already commenced at Bayero University, Kano, and in Port Harcourt, with plans to deepen the integration of academia into Customs engagements in 2027.
According to him, stronger collaboration with communication scholars and professionals would enable the Service to benefit from contemporary research, professional expertise and emerging communication technologies, while providing academic institutions with practical insights into Customs operations and institutional communication.
The conference, which brought together communication scholars, professionals and institutional stakeholders, also examined the changing communication environment and the implications of emerging technologies for democracy and electoral processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ACSPN President, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, emphasised the importance of informed citizens, credible media and transparent institutions to the sustenance of constitutional democracy, while a keynote presentation delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Sani Adam, drew attention to emerging threats, including deepfakes, AI-generated content and candidate impersonation.
The NCS participation followed an earlier engagement on Monday, August 31, 2026, when the Service hosted the leadership of ACSPN at its National Headquarters in Abuja to explore collaboration in digital communication, media engagement, professional development, and stronger ties between academia and the Customs Service.
Building on this momentum, the conference featured technical sessions on electoral communication and digital-age challenges, ultimately culminating in a dinner and award ceremony that recognized distinguished contributions to communication scholarship and professional practice.
