By Julius Peter
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has underscored the strategic importance of effective communication to the success of institutional reforms, trade facilitation, revenue generation and stakeholder engagement, as it highlighted the transformative role of its B’Odogwu digital modernisation platform.
The Service said technological innovation alone could not deliver sustainable institutional change without deliberate communication strategies capable of explaining reforms, building stakeholder confidence and ensuring that key policies and initiatives were properly understood by the public.
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 (NOUN), Abuja.
Maiwada, who spoke on the role of strategic communication in institutional transformation, said communication remained central to the effective discharge of the Customs Service’s responsibilities, particularly as the organisation continued to introduce technology-driven reforms to modernise its operations.
“Our critical role in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling cannot be effective without effective communication,” he said.
According to him, the Customs Service operates within an environment involving numerous stakeholders, including importers, exporters, customs brokers, government agencies, businesses, academics, the media and the general public. Consequently, he said, communicating policy changes and technological innovations effectively was essential to securing cooperation and improving complian
A major focus of the Customs presentation was B’Odogwu, described as an important component of the Service’s digital transformation agenda.
Maiwada explained that the platform formed part of the NCS’s continuing efforts to deploy technology and innovative approaches to make customs processes more efficient and responsive to the demands of modern trade.
He noted that B’Odogwu had attracted attention beyond Nigeria, reflecting the growing significance of technology in customs administration and trade facilitation.
The emphasis on digitalisation comes as customs administrations globally increasingly move away from predominantly manual processes towards integrated, technology-enabled systems designed to improve efficiency, transparency and the movement of legitimate trade.
For the NCS, however, the digital transformation agenda is not simply a technological undertaking. Maiwada stressed that reforms must also be communicated in ways that enable stakeholders to understand their objectives, benefits and operational implications.
Effective communication, he maintained, would help reduce uncertainty around new systems while strengthening public understanding of the Service’s broader reform agenda.
Beyond digital transformation, the Customs Service used the conference to draw attention to its growing engagement with communication scholars and professionals.
Maiwada highlighted the Service’s “Town and Gown” initiative, an engagement framework intended to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional practice in communication.
According to him, the initiative has already commenced at Bayero University, Kano, as well as in Port Harcourt, with plans to expand and deepen the relationship between academia and the Customs Service in 2027.
He said stronger interaction with universities and communication professionals would allow the NCS to benefit from contemporary research, professional expertise and emerging communication technologies.
At the same time, he said, academic institutions could gain practical insights into customs operations, institutional communication and the realities of managing communication within a major public institution.
The initiative is expected to provide an avenue through which theoretical knowledge and professional experience can inform one another, particularly in an era in which public institutions face increasingly complex communication challenges.
For Customs, such collaboration could also strengthen its capacity to communicate reforms to increasingly diverse audiences, particularly as technology changes how citizens and businesses receive, interpret and respond to information.
The ACSPN conference also broadened the discussion beyond institutional communication to examine the rapidly changing information environment and its implications for democracy and electoral processes ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The conference brought together communication scholars, professionals and institutional stakeholders to examine emerging trends in communication and the challenges posed by rapidly evolving digital technologies.
In his opening remarks, ACSPN President, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, emphasised the importance of informed citizens, credible media and transparent institutions to the survival and strengthening of constitutional democracy.
The conference therefore placed communication at the intersection of governance, technology and democratic participation, with discussions focusing on the increasing influence of digital platforms and emerging technologies on public discourse.
A keynote presentation delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Sani Adam, highlighted some of the emerging threats that could complicate electoral communication and public trust.
Among the concerns identified were deepfakes, AI-generated content and candidate impersonation.
The emergence of such technologies presents new challenges for electoral authorities, political actors, journalists and citizens because digitally manipulated material can increasingly be produced and distributed at a speed that makes verification difficult.
For electoral communication, the challenge extends beyond detecting false content. Institutions must also be able to communicate quickly and credibly when misinformation emerges, while citizens need the media and public institutions to provide reliable information against which questionable claims can be assessed.
The Customs Service’s participation at the conference followed an earlier engagement between the two organisations.
On Monday, August 31, 2026, the NCS hosted the leadership of ACSPN at its National Headquarters in Abuja, where both sides explored opportunities for collaboration in digital communication, media engagement and professional development.
The discussions also focused on strengthening the relationship between academia and the Customs Service.
The engagement reflected a growing recognition within the Service that institutional communication must evolve alongside technological and operational reforms.
As Customs modernises its processes, its communication structures must similarly respond to changing media environments, new digital platforms and increasingly sophisticated information-consumption habits among stakeholders.
The proposed collaboration with ACSPN could provide an institutional framework for drawing on academic research and professional expertise to address these challenges.
It could also create opportunities for scholars and communication professionals to gain a deeper understanding of the communication requirements of customs administration and public-sector reform.
The Customs Service’s emphasis on communication comes at a critical period, with both institutional reforms and the broader national information environment undergoing significant changes.
The NCS is pursuing technology-driven approaches to customs administration, while Nigeria is also preparing for the 2027 general elections in an environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, social media and rapidly generated digital content.
These developments have elevated the importance of strategic communication for public institutions.
For Customs, communicating reforms effectively could be as important as implementing the reforms themselves. Stakeholders need clear information about new procedures, while businesses require predictable and accessible channels through which to understand and respond to changes in customs administration.
Similarly, the wider democratic environment requires institutions, journalists, academics and citizens to develop stronger capacities to identify manipulated information and distinguish credible communication from digitally generated falsehoods.
The ACSPN conference provided a platform for these issues to converge, bringing together discussions about institutional transformation, professional communication, technological innovation and democratic governance.
The conference ultimately culminated in a dinner and award ceremony recognising distinguished contributions to communication scholarship and professional practice.
For the Nigeria Customs Service, however, its engagement with ACSPN appears to extend beyond participation in a single conference.
The August 31 meeting at the NCS headquarters, the September 2 conference participation and the proposed expansion of the “Town and Gown” initiative in 2027 point towards a more structured relationship between the Service and communication scholars and professionals.
Such a partnership could prove valuable as Customs continues to implement reforms requiring sustained engagement with businesses, government institutions, the media and the wider public.
The central message from the NCS was clear: technology may drive institutional transformation, but communication determines how effectively such transformation is understood, accepted and sustained.
As the Service advances its digital modernisation agenda through initiatives such as B’Odogwu, its ability to communicate those reforms transparently and strategically will remain a critical part of its effort to improve trade facilitation, strengthen revenue generation, combat smuggling and deepen stakeholder confidence.
