The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has urged the media to forge a strategic partnership to ensure the successful rollout of the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP). He described journalists as indispensable to the success of ongoing reforms.
Call for Collaboration at Media Workshop
Adeniyi made the call during the opening of a two-day training workshop for journalists in Abuja on Thursday. He emphasized that the TMP is a comprehensive, technology-driven initiative aimed at overhauling NCS processes, eliminating inefficiencies, and fostering a predictable trading environment.
The Comptroller-General noted that while infrastructure and technology are vital, the success of such a large-scale reform hinges on stakeholder understanding, acceptance, and participation.
“The Trade Modernisation Project stands at the centre of this transformation,” Adeniyi said. “It represents a comprehensive initiative designed to overhaul our processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and create a more seamless and predictable trading environment. Through the deployment of modern digital platforms, automation of procedures, and integration of systems, we are laying the foundation for a customs administration that is not only efficient but also globally competitive.”
Media as a Bridge
Adeniyi charged the media to act as a bridge between the institution and the public, stressing that accurate reporting is crucial for maintaining public trust.
“As key partners in national development, the media serve as the bridge between institutions and the public,” he added. “You shape narratives, influence perception, and provide the platform through which policies and reforms are interpreted and understood. It is, therefore, essential that you are well informed, properly equipped, and actively engaged.”
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to building a Customs Service that is “efficient, transparent, technology-driven, and responsive to the needs of the nation.”
Workshop Objectives
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, explained that the workshop was specifically designed to enhance media knowledge of the Service’s evolution.
“As the Service continues to evolve in response to the dynamics of global trade, technological advancement, and national economic priorities, it has become imperative to carry critical stakeholders, particularly the media, along in this journey of transformation,” Maiwada said.
He noted that the Trade Modernisation Project represents a significant milestone in deploying solutions that simplify processes and improve revenue collection. The workshop, organized in collaboration with Trade Modernisation Project Limited, aims to provide journalists with in-depth knowledge of the project’s objectives, implementation framework, and its broader implications for national development.
