Customs, ACSPN Deepen Partnership on Media, Digital Communication
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strengthened its relationship with the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), with both organisations exploring opportunities for greater collaboration in media, digital communication and professional development.
The development followed a meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026, when executive members of ACSPN visited the NCS National Headquarters in Abuja.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the National Public Relations Officer and spokesperson for the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, stressed the importance of effective communication in driving and sustaining institutional reforms.
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Maiwada highlighted the Service’s monthly newsletter, social media platforms and use of data analytics as key tools in communicating its activities and reforms.
“In every reform, communication must be embedded to achieve the desired result,” he said.
He also highlighted the NCS’s growing involvement in the creative industry, pointing to its one-off movie, Beyond the Badge, and the 79-episode movie series, Novera. According to him, the productions have begun generating revenue for the Service while also creating employment opportunities within the entertainment sector.
Maiwada further disclosed plans to expand the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network (NCBN) to Lagos. He also announced the Service’s intention to pursue corporate membership of ACSPN and encourage its Public Relations officers to become members of the association.
Earlier, the President of ACSPN, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, commended Maiwada for his continued support of the association and welcomed the proposed institutional partnership between ACSPN and the NCS.
Olatunji assured that ACSPN was prepared to support NCS personnel interested in advancing their academic and professional qualifications.
“When communication scholars are given the opportunity to lead organisations, they excel because they remain conscious of public needs, sensibilities, and sensitivities,” he said.
The engagement also featured a joint press briefing at the NCS headquarters auditorium, where ACSPN formally announced its 2026 National Conference.
The conference, themed “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruptions and Dynamics of Communication,” will focus on the changing media landscape and the influence of artificial intelligence, social media and digital platforms on political communication ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Speaking to journalists, Olatunji called for stronger collaboration between communication scholars and media practitioners, particularly in promoting fact-based public discourse and addressing the growing challenges of misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content, including deepfakes.
He urged media organisations to institutionalise fact-checking mechanisms to enable citizens to better navigate the increasingly complex digital and electoral information environment.
The visit ended with a tour of selected facilities at the NCS headquarters, including the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)/Modernisation Department and the NCBN studios. The delegation was briefed on the Service’s digital operations, technological systems and evolving media strategy.
(Democracy Newsline Newspaper, September 2nd 2026)
