Customs deploys AI tools to combat fake news, online scams

By Onu Okorie

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to combat the spread of fake news and online scams capable of damaging its reputation through the integration of modern digital intelligence and data-tracking tools.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Friday, October 30, 2026, through the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, at the recently concluded NECCIPR Roundtable ’26 in Lagos.
The event, organised under the theme, “Algorithm Influence and Public Relations,” brought together communication professionals and other stakeholders to examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence and digital algorithms on public perception and information management.
Speaking at the event, Maiwada emphasised the importance of ensuring that members of the public understand and appreciate the reasons behind the actions and responsibilities of Customs officers.
He noted that artificial intelligence had become an important tool in the Service’s operational activities and strategic communication, particularly in risk management and public engagement.
“The role of AI cannot be overemphasised, especially within our operations. Over the years, AI has been deployed in our core operational duties as well as strategic communication,” he said.
According to him, AI-powered systems assist the Service in assessing risks associated with imported goods, categorising consignments according to their risk levels and enabling appropriate Customs interventions.
Maiwada further explained that artificial intelligence could analyse public sentiment and provide insights into how Nigerians perceive the activities of the Service.
He added that the NCS was leveraging available digital platforms to establish facts, counter misleading narratives and collaborate with relevant government agencies to identify and apprehend individuals responsible for spreading false information.
The Customs spokesperson stressed that effective communication remained essential to building public confidence, noting that the Service was committed to promoting transparency and ensuring that accurate information about its operations reached Nigerians.
Earlier, the convener of the NECCIPR Roundtable ’26, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, said the initiative was established on the conviction that public relations practitioners must go beyond managing messages to actively shaping national discourse.
Ali-Balogun observed that the growing influence of artificial intelligence had fundamentally changed the way information was created, distributed and consumed, raising concerns about who controls the narratives shaping public opinion.
“This year, we confront a question that touches every one of us. When machines decide what we see, who is really shaping the Nigerian mind? Who now controls the flow of information that shapes what Nigerians believe?” she asked.
She warned that a single algorithm could influence political narratives, amplify conspiracy theories and determine the information consumed and shared by millions of people.
The roundtable featured keynote addresses by the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, alongside other invited dignitaries.
The participation of prominent professionals and stakeholders highlighted the growing recognition of the need to strengthen ethical communication, promote information integrity and equip public relations practitioners to address emerging challenges in the digital information environment.
The discussions underscored the importance of responsible technology adoption, credible information and strategic communication in sustaining public trust in institutions.