Customs, ACSPN explore collaboration on digital media, communication training

By Admin

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) have moved to deepen collaboration in strategic communication, digital media and professional development, with both organisations stressing the growing importance of effective communication in an increasingly technology-driven environment.

The commitment was made last Monday, August 31, 2026, when the executive members of ACSPN visited the NCS National Headquarters in Abuja to explore areas of institutional partnership and knowledge exchange.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the National Public Relations Officer and spokesperson of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, described communication as a critical component of institutional reforms.

Maiwada said the Service had continued to deploy various communication channels, including its monthly newsletter, social media platforms and data analytics, to explain its reforms, engage stakeholders and improve public understanding of its operations.

“In every reform, communication must be embedded to achieve the desired result,” he said.

The Customs spokesman also highlighted the Service’s growing engagement with the creative industry, citing its one-off movie, Beyond the Badge, and the 79-episode movie series, Novera, as examples of innovative approaches to public communication.

According to him, the creative productions have not only provided alternative platforms for telling the Customs story but have also begun generating revenue for the Service while creating employment opportunities within the entertainment industry.

Maiwada further disclosed plans to expand the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network (NCBN) to Lagos, in addition to the Service’s intention to pursue corporate membership of ACSPN and encourage its public relations officers to become members of the professional association.

Earlier, ACSPN President, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, commended Maiwada for his longstanding support for the association and welcomed the proposed institutional partnership with the Customs Service.

Olatunji pledged ACSPN’s readiness to support Customs personnel seeking higher academic and professional qualifications, stressing the importance of linking communication scholarship with professional practice.

“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 during which ACSPN formally announced its 2026 National Conference, themed “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruptions and Dynamics of Communication.”

The conference is expected to examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence, social media and digital platforms on political communication ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

Addressing journalists, Olatunji called for stronger collaboration between communication scholars and media practitioners to promote fact-based public discourse and confront the growing challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes.

He urged media organisations to institutionalise fact-checking mechanisms as part of efforts to help citizens distinguish credible information from manipulated content and make informed decisions in an increasingly complex digital environment.

The visit concluded with a tour of key facilities at the Customs headquarters, including the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)/Modernisation Department and the NCBN studios.

The delegation was briefed on the Service’s digital operations, technology-driven reforms and evolving media strategy, further underscoring the potential for collaboration between the two organisations in strengthening institutional communication and professional capacity.