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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has urged global customs administrations to adopt impact-driven communication strategies to deepen trust, accountability and reform acceptance across trade ecosystems.
This was the focus of Nigeria’s presentation at the 17th Session of the Capacity Building Committee of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), held at its headquarters in Brussels from February 25 to 27, 2026.
Speaking at the session, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, highlighted how the Service has moved beyond routine activity reporting to a more evidence-based communication model designed to demonstrate reform outcomes.
In a presentation titled “Communicating the Results of Capacity-Building Initiatives More Effectively: Nigeria Customs Service Experience and Lessons Learned,” Maiwada said the Service’s communication strategy was deliberately structured to align reform implementation with public understanding.
“The Service’s reform communication framework is structured around three core pillars: institutional capacity building, human resource development, and stakeholder capacity engagement, ensuring that reforms are not only implemented but clearly understood and trusted,” he said.
He explained that under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR, who also serves as Chairperson of the WCO Council, the NCS had prioritised transparency in reform storytelling as a governance tool rather than a public relations exercise.
Using the Time Release Study (TRS) as an example, he showed how data-driven tools such as infographics were deployed to demonstrate that a major portion of cargo clearance delays were caused by systemic idle time rather than inspection processes.
“This approach shifted the narrative from defensive explanations to performance benchmarking, strengthening shared accountability across the trade ecosystem,” Maiwada noted.
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On trade facilitation programmes, he disclosed that the Advance Ruling initiative recorded significant growth, with 83 rulings issued in 2025. Registered accounts also rose sharply from 60 in December 2024 to 173 by December 2025, representing a 188.3 percent increase in stakeholder participation.
He added that the programme contributed 2.9 percent of total revenue from goods valued at ₦240.89 billion in 2025, underscoring how predictable trade rules could encourage voluntary compliance and support revenue assurance.
The Service also highlighted progress under the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, with about 120 companies receiving full certification. To support implementation, 3,270 officers were trained nationwide as AEO Champions to strengthen stakeholder engagement and operational sustainability.
Maiwada also cited the deployment of the indigenous Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, as a key milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation drive, supported by continuous user education and stakeholder sensitisation.
He further pointed to the Customs Integrity Perception Survey as a strategic accountability tool, explaining that integrity management within the Service is now continuously measurable through data analytics and public feedback.
He encouraged WCO member states to integrate communication units into reform design stages, adopt more human-centred institutional messaging, maintain continuous stakeholder engagement, and deepen peer learning across customs administrations.
At the close of the session, Nigeria nominated LI Yan of China Customs for the position of Chair of the 18th Session of the WCO Capacity Building Committee. Delegates unanimously supported the nomination.
LI Yan, who has served as China’s Customs Attaché in Brussels since 2020, has managed multilateral and bilateral customs cooperation initiatives. Her four-term tenure as Vice Chair and subsequent election as Chair at the 16th session, followed by her re-election at the 17th session, were widely seen as evidence of sustained confidence in her leadership and collaborative diplomacy.
