By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service has presented its impact-focused reform communication model at the 17th Session of the Capacity Building Committee of the World Customs Organization held at its headquarters in Brussels from 25 to 27 February 2026.
Speaking during the session, the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, delivered a paper titled Communicating the Results of Capacity-Building Initiatives More Effectively: Nigeria Customs Service Experience and Lessons Learned.
Maiwada told delegates from member administrations that the Service, under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR, who also chairs the WCO Council, has shifted from routine activity reporting to evidence-based storytelling designed to demonstrate reform outcomes and measurable institutional impact.
He explained that the Service’s reform communication framework is anchored on three pillars: institutional capacity building, human resource development, and stakeholder capacity engagement, aimed at ensuring reforms are not only implemented but clearly understood and trusted by the trading public.
Using the Time Release Study as a case study, he said the Service adopted transparent data presentation tools, including infographics, to show that a significant portion of cargo clearance delays stemmed from systemic idle time rather than inspection procedures. The approach, he noted, moved the narrative from defensive explanations to performance benchmarking and strengthened shared accountability within the trade ecosystem.
On the Advance Ruling programme, Maiwada disclosed that 83 advance rulings were issued in 2025, while registered accounts increased from 60 in December 2024 to 173 in December 2025, representing a 188.3 percent growth in stakeholder participation. He added that the initiative accounted for 2.9 percent of total revenue from goods valued at ₦240.89 billion in 2025, underscoring the role of structured communication in promoting predictability and voluntary compliance.
Highlighting progress under the Authorised Economic Operator programme, he revealed that about 120 companies have received full AEO certification, while 3,270 officers were trained nationwide as AEO Champions to sustain implementation and deepen stakeholder engagement.
Maiwada also referenced the deployment of the indigenous Unified Customs Management System, known as B’Odogwu, as a milestone in the Service’s digital transformation drive, supported by sustained sensitisation and user engagement.
He further pointed to the Customs Integrity Perception Survey as a data-driven mechanism for strengthening accountability and public trust, noting that integrity management within the Service is now measurable and subject to continuous assessment.
The Customs spokesman urged member administrations of the WCO to integrate communication units at the design stage of reform initiatives, humanise institutional processes, sustain engagement beyond single events and strengthen 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. Her nomination received unanimous support from delegates. LI Yan, who has served as China’s Customs Attaché to Brussels since 2020, has managed multilateral and bilateral initiatives within the WCO framework and with key partners. She previously served four terms as Vice Chair and was elected Chair at the 16th Session before her reelection at the just concluded 17th Session, reflecting sustained confidence in her leadership.
The World Customs Organization is a global intergovernmental body that supports customs administrations across member countries to enhance efficiency, transparency and trade facilitation through standards, capacity building and international cooperation.
