Gloria Odion Maritime reporter 

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has charged Public Relations Officers (PROs) of the Service to embrace strategic, research-driven and impactful communication in promoting Customs reforms, strengthening institutional credibility and sustaining public confidence.

Adeniyi gave the charge on Friday, July 24th, 2026 at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Conference held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The four-day conference, themed “Realigning Corporate Communication as a Strategic Driver of Institutional Effectiveness and Public Trust,” focused on repositioning corporate communication as a core management tool for enhancing institutional effectiveness and public trust.

Addressing participants, the Comptroller-General described the conference as a vital platform for reflection, professional development and institutional renewal at a critical stage of the Service’s transformation agenda.

He noted that communication has evolved beyond a support function to become a strategic driver of organisational success, stressing that reforms can only achieve their intended objectives when they are properly understood, accepted and trusted by the public.

“Across the world, communication has evolved from a support service into a strategic management function.

“Reforms cannot succeed unless they are understood, accepted and trusted by the people they are designed to serve,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs boss further observed that the rapid expansion of digital media, artificial intelligence and real-time information flow requires a more proactive, intelligence-led and research-based communication strategy.

He urged Customs spokespersons to communicate every policy, operational activity, reform initiative and enforcement action with professionalism, accuracy and purpose in order to reinforce public confidence in the Service.

Earlier, the Acting Zonal Coordinator of Zone ‘C’, Comptroller Pascal Chibuoke, described corporate communication as a strategic asset that shapes public perception, builds stakeholder confidence, promotes transparency and reinforces institutional legitimacy.

Also speaking, the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, said the 2026 conference marked another milestone in the evolution of the Nigeria Customs Service’s corporate communication strategy.

He noted that the conference built on the successes of previous editions held in Lagos, Gwagwalada and Kano, adding that effective communication remains indispensable to the success of institutional reforms.

According to Maiwada, the conference was designed to develop practical solutions, strengthen professional networks and reposition public relations as a strategic corporate communication function within the Service.

In her closing remarks, the Customs Area Controller of Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, commended the Comptroller-General for his sustained commitment to capacity building and professional development.

She urged participants to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired during the conference to improve service delivery across their respective commands.

In separate goodwill messages, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, and the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahaya, applauded Adeniyi for institutionalising strategic communication within the Nigeria Customs Service.

They also challenged Public Relations Officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, ethical practice and effective stakeholder engagement in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The conference featured technical sessions on Customs modernisation, crisis communication, media intelligence, digital innovation, stakeholder engagement and emerging communication technologies, all aimed at strengthening the Service’s communication architecture and supporting its ongoing reform agenda.

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched its Management Information System (MIS) File Tracker at the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Area Command, using the command as the pilot location for the new digital initiative.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, described the deployment as part of the Service’s commitment to deepening the use of technology to improve personnel administration and enhance the speed and efficiency of document processing.

Represented at the launch by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of ICT/Modernisation, DCC Oluyomi Adebakin, the CGC said the initiative marks another milestone in the Service’s expanding modernisation agenda, which is focused on deploying digital solutions to improve operational efficiency, strengthen transparency and facilitate seamless trade.

Adebakin reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to leveraging technology to transform its operations and improve service delivery.

She noted that, as the architect of several landmark digital initiatives, including the Nigeria Trade Portal and the Customs Verification Management System, the deployment of the MIS File Tracker further demonstrates the Service’s resolve to embrace innovation in line with global best practices.

According to her, the introduction of the MIS File Tracker will further consolidate PTML Command’s reputation as a hub of innovation within the Service through features designed to simplify administrative processes and improve efficiency.

She explained that the MIS is an enterprise-wide platform for Customs administrative processes, serving as a Single Sign-On (SSO) application that enables a unified data set to be accessed and utilised across all departments.

Adebakin urged officers to maximise the platform for key administrative functions, including leave and pass applications, file tracking, duty roster management, internal staff orders, nominal roll management and other administrative processes.

She added that the platform also provides channels for users to submit feedback on areas requiring modifications, additional features and further improvements.

She said the deployment is expected to streamline internal workflows, reduce reliance on manual processes and support data-driven decision-making across the Service.

PTML Area Command, widely regarded as one of the most technologically advanced commands in the Nigeria Customs Service, has consistently served as the pilot location for several digital transformation projects, including the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu.

Speaking at the event, the Acting Controller of PTML Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, expressed confidence in the command’s ability to successfully implement the new system and serve as a model for Customs innovation nationwide.

Miko said the command is fully committed to maximising all technology-driven trade facilitation initiatives introduced by the Customs management.

He thanked the Comptroller-General for his confidence in the command’s capacity to deliver and disclosed that efforts are underway to reduce the cargo clearance time for compliant Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) cargoes from the current two hours to just one hour.

Describing the MIS File Tracker as another bold step in the Service’s digital transformation journey, Miko pledged that the PTML Area Command would justify the confidence reposed in it by ensuring the successful implementation of the system from the pilot phase through full deployment.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed as false reports alleging that smugglers had taken over the Idiroko–Sango Ota trading route in Ogun State, describing the claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of a traffic incident.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Chado, the Command clarified that the traffic gridlock on the route resulted from the breakdown of an articulated commercial trailer after it fell into a badly deteriorated section of Atan Road, temporarily obstructing the free flow of traffic.
According to the Command, the vehicles caught in the ensuing congestion were legitimate commercial trucks transporting red palm oil to various local markets and had no connection whatsoever with smuggling activities.
It explained that the large number of heavy-duty trucks trapped in the gridlock may have led some members of the public to wrongly conclude that smugglers had taken over the road.
“The reports that smugglers blocked the road are inaccurate. The disruption resulted from a road accident and poor road conditions. The vehicles involved were lawful commercial vehicles transporting red palm oil for legitimate trade,” Chado stated.
The Command urged journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information before disseminating reports capable of creating unnecessary panic or undermining public confidence in security agencies.
Observers within the border trade sector noted that the allegation does not reflect the prevailing security situation within the Ogun I Area Command, where anti-smuggling operations have been intensified under the leadership of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Comptroller O.O. Afeni.
Since assuming office, Comptroller Afeni has strengthened intelligence-driven surveillance, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and host communities, and sustained pressure on economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors.
These measures, according to stakeholders, have resulted in significant seizures of prohibited goods and reinforced the Command’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and territorial integrity.
Maritime and border trade stakeholders also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of undermining the efforts of security personnel or creating a false impression of lawlessness in border communities.
They stressed that while combating smuggling remains an ongoing responsibility, responsible and accurate reporting is equally critical to ensuring that operational achievements are not overshadowed by misinformation.
The Ogun I Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its anti-smuggling campaign while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade in line with the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.