Customs, media forge alliance to deepen public trust, trade awareness
By Maureen Aguta
The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified efforts to strengthen its relationship with the media as part of a broader strategy to enhance stakeholder engagement, promote transparency, and drive national development.
This formed the crux of a high-level media parley organised by the Service’s National Public Relations Unit at the Kano/Jigawa Area Command Headquarters in Bompai, Kano, where Customs officials and journalists converged to chart a stronger communication partnership.
The event, themed “Building Synergy Between the Media and Customs for Enhanced Stakeholders’ Awareness and National Development,” drew senior Customs officers, media executives, and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists from Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
Speaking at the engagement, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, described the media as an indispensable ally in nation-building and public enlightenment.
According to him, the media remains the critical channel through which government policies, Customs procedures, trade regulations, and enforcement activities are communicated to businesses and the wider public.
Maiwada noted that under the leadership of Adewale Adeniyi, the Service has accelerated reforms aimed at modernising Customs operations through digital transformation, intelligence-led enforcement, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and institutional transparency.
He explained that the reforms are designed to build a more accountable, technology-driven, and service-oriented Customs administration capable of supporting economic growth and trade facilitation.
“As Customs operations continue to evolve, accurate, balanced, and timely reportage becomes increasingly important,” Maiwada said, urging journalists to uphold professionalism and fairness in reporting.
He added that the Service would continue to strengthen collaboration with credible media organisations while deploying multilingual communication strategies to combat misinformation and improve public understanding of Customs activities.
In his remarks, Acting Customs Area Controller of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu, described the parley as timely, noting that strong institutional communication is vital to public trust and operational efficiency.
“The partnership between Customs and the media remains indispensable in achieving effective revenue generation, trade facilitation, and border security objectives,” he stated.
Also speaking, Vice Chairman of the Kano State Council of the NUJ, Mustapha Muhammad, commended the Customs Service for sustaining engagement with journalists, describing the relationship between the media and Customs as “two sides of the same coin.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of journalists to ethical reporting and professionalism while praising the Kano/Jigawa Area Command for maintaining cordial relations with media practitioners in the region.
The parley also featured an interactive session where journalists engaged Customs officials on trade facilitation procedures, enforcement operations, and stakeholder concerns, with participants underscoring the need for sustained dialogue, trust, and collaboration in advancing national development objectives.