Customs advocates effective communication as tool for trade facilitation, revenue generation

By Onu Okorie

Nigeria Customs Service NCS has stressed the strategic importance of effective communication in driving institutional reforms, facilitating trade, boosting revenue generation and strengthening engagement with stakeholders.
The Service said technological and institutional reforms would only achieve their desired objectives when properly communicated and understood by stakeholders, particularly within the trading community.
The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, stated 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), held at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.
Maiwada said communication remained central to the effective discharge of the Customs mandate, particularly in the areas of trade facilitation, revenue collection and anti-smuggling operations.
“Our critical role in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling cannot be effective without effective communication,” he said.
He noted that the NCS had continued to deploy technology and innovative approaches to improve its operations, identifying the B’Odogwu digital modernisation platform as a major component of the Service’s digital transformation agenda.
According to him, B’Odogwu has emerged as an innovative trade model attracting attention beyond Nigeria, underscoring the need for effective communication to ensure that stakeholders understand and maximise the benefits of the reforms.
The Customs spokesman also highlighted the Service’s “Town and Gown” initiative, which he said was designed to bridge the gap between academic research and professional practice in communication.
Maiwada disclosed that the initiative had already 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.
At the same time, he added, academic institutions would gain practical insights into Customs operations and institutional communication.
The conference brought together communication scholars, media professionals and institutional stakeholders to examine the changing communication landscape 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, emphasised 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 (INEC), Professor Sani Adam, also highlighted emerging threats posed by deepfakes, AI-generated content and candidate impersonation.
The NCS participation at the conference followed an earlier engagement on August 31, when the Service hosted the leadership of ACSPN at its National Headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting explored areas of collaboration in digital communication, media engagement, professional development and stronger ties between academia and the Customs Service.
The collaboration culminated in technical sessions at the conference focusing on electoral communication and challenges associated with communication in the digital age, followed by a dinner and award ceremony recognising outstanding contributions to communication scholarship and professional practice.