Customs, communication professionals deepen media collaboration

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

The Nigeria Customs Service has concluded plans to partner with the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria to explore deeper collaboration in media, digital communication and professional development.

The discussion centred on this issue on Monday when the service received the executive members of ACSPN at its National Headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement issued by the NCS on Monday.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, a Comptroller of Customs, highlighted the strategic role of the media in communicating institutional reforms.

The NCS spokesperson cited the service’s monthly newsletter, social media presence and data analytics as central to these efforts, stressing that “in every reform, communication must be embedded to achieve the desired result.”

Maiwada also noted the service’s innovative engagement with the creative industry through its one-off movie, ‘Beyond the Badge’, and 79-episode movie series, ‘Novera’, which have begun generating revenue for the NCS while creating employment within the entertainment industry.

He also revealed plans to expand the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network to Lagos, while announcing the service’s intention to pursue corporate membership with ACSPN and encourage its public relations officers to join the association.

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Earlier, the President of ACSPN, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, commended Maiwada for his enduring support as an ambassador of the association.

He welcomed the proposed institutional partnership and pledged ACSPN’s readiness to support NCS personnel seeking higher academic and professional qualifications.

“When communication scholars are allowed to lead organisations, they excel because they remain conscious of public needs, sensibilities, and sensitivities,” Olatunji stated.

Olatunji called for stronger synergy between communication scholars and media practitioners to promote fact-based discourse and combat misinformation, disinformation, and AI-manipulated content such as deepfakes.

He urged media organisations to institutionalise fact-checking to help citizens navigate the complexities of electoral communication in the digital age.

The visit concluded with a guided tour of key facilities at the NCS headquarters, including the Information and Communication Technology/Modernisation Department and the NCBN studios, where the delegation was briefed on the service’s digital operations and media strategy.