By Femi Anamelechi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, August 31, 2026, hosted the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) at its headquarters in Abuja, providing a platform for the association’s press briefing ahead of its 13th National Conference and an engagement with the Public Relations Unit of the Service.Receiving the delegation, the National Public Relations Officer and spokesperson of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, welcomed the President and members of ACSPN on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi. He highlighted the role of publications in communicating reforms, citing the NCS monthly newsletter, which captures activities across the Service’s formations, as well as the Unit’s social media operations, data analysis and other communication initiatives. “In every reform, there must be a publication aspect of it,” Maiwada stated.Maiwada also highlighted the Service’s collaboration with the entertainment industry through its movie, “Beyond the Batch,” which he said had started generating revenue for the Service while creating employment opportunities for members of the production crew. He further disclosed plans to extend the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network (NCBN) to Lagos and expressed the Service’s readiness to pursue corporate membership of ACSPN, while mobilising members of the Public Relations Unit to participate in the association.Speaking earlier, the President of ACSPN, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, described Maiwada as a dependable ally and an ambassador of the association, commending his longstanding support for ACSPN.
He also welcomed the proposed institutional membership of the NCS and pledged the association’s support for members of the Service seeking to advance their academic and professional development.“When communication scholars are given opportunity to lead organisations, they always excel, because we are always conscious of public needs, sensibilities and sensitivity,” Olatunji stated.The engagement thereafter featured a press briefing at the auditorium of the Nigeria Customs Service headquarters, where ACSPN formally presented its 2026 National Conference, themed “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruptions and Dynamics of Communication.” The conference will focus on the changing communication environment and the influence of artificial intelligence, social media, digital platforms and data on political communication ahead of the 2027 general elections.At the briefing, Olatunji called for stronger collaboration between communication scholars and media professionals to promote fact-based public discourse and tackle misinformation, disinformation and digitally manipulated content, particularly deepfakes. He urged media organisations to strengthen fact-checking and help citizens better understand the implications of emerging technologies on electoral communication.Following the press briefing, the ACSPN delegation toured selected facilities within the NCS headquarters, including the Information and Communication Technology section and the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network, where they were briefed on the Service’s digital operations and communication activities. The engagement further strengthened the partnership between the NCS and ACSPN in the areas of communication, publication, professional development and public engagement.
