The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a four-day capacity-building workshop for journalists in Abuja aimed at deepening media understanding of the Service’s ongoing Trade Modernisation Project and broader institutional reforms.
The workshop, themed “Enhancing Media Knowledge and Understanding of Customs Modernisation Project,” brought together journalists from various media organisations across the country to strengthen public awareness of Customs’ digital transformation agenda.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, described the media as a vital partner in the success of Customs reforms.
Bomodi said the rapid pace of reforms within the Service made it necessary for stakeholders, particularly journalists, to understand the objectives and expected impact of the transformation initiatives.
“A lot is happening within the Service, and sometimes it may be difficult for stakeholders to keep pace with the speed of these developments. That is why engagements like this have become necessary,” he said.
He explained that the Trade Modernisation Project remains one of the Service’s most strategic reforms, designed to eliminate inefficiencies, simplify trade procedures and create a more predictable business environment.
“The Trade Modernisation Project sits at the centre of our transformation journey. Through digital platforms, automation of procedures, and systems integration, we are building a Customs administration that is efficient, transparent, and globally competitive,” Bomodi stated.
According to him, reforms of such scale require adequate public understanding, stressing that the media serves as the bridge between institutions and the public.
“When change happens, stakeholders must understand not just what is changing, but why it is changing. That is where the media becomes indispensable,” he added.
Earlier, the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, said the workshop was designed to equip journalists with practical knowledge of the modernisation project and other ongoing reforms within the Service.
“In this era of global trade and technological advancement, it has become necessary to carry critical stakeholders, particularly the media, along in this journey of transformation,” Maiwada said.
He noted that beyond infrastructure and technology, the success of Customs modernisation depends largely on accurate public communication and informed reportage.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Ahmad Ogunsola, encouraged participants to engage actively throughout the sessions.
“Our objective is to answer as many questions as possible and ensure that by the end of this engagement, participants leave with a deeper understanding of the project and its impact on trade facilitation in Nigeria,” he said.
Other senior officials present at the opening ceremony included the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, and the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shu’aibu.
Technical sessions at the workshop featured presentations by senior Customs officers, including Deputy Comptroller Nafi’u Salihu, who spoke on the Integrated Non-Intrusive Inspection System, and Assistant Comptroller Bukola Omoniyi.
The training programme, which began on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, is expected to conclude on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
