In a powerful endorsement of Nigeria’s growing influence in trade and border innovation, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has lauded the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its groundbreaking strides in customs modernisation and trade facilitation.
The commendation was delivered during the opening of the 145th/146th Sessions of the Customs Co-operation Council at the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala praised the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for aligning Nigeria’s customs procedures with global best practices.
She acknowledged the Service’s impressive progress in deploying advanced technology, tightening border controls, and improving transparency across trade operations. “The leadership of CGC Adeniyi has positioned Nigeria as a model for customs modernisation across the continent,” Dr. Okonjo-Iweala stated. “These efforts are vital to strengthening global trade and ensuring that customs administrations play a key role in economic development.”
On the sidelines of the session, CGC Adeniyi responded with humility and resolve, describing the WTO recognition as a motivating validation of the reforms implemented under his watch. “Her recognition of our efforts is not only humbling but also energising. It affirms that the reforms we’ve embarked on, especially in automation, institutional capacity, and leadership, are on the right path,” he said.
He reiterated Nigeria’s support for the WTO-WCO partnership, bolstered by a landmark Memorandum of Understanding signed in January 2025, which targets enhanced cooperation on customs valuation, rules of origin, and broader trade facilitation efforts.
While the international applause echoed in Brussels, another chapter of innovation was unfolding back home in Abuja. On June 23, 2025, the NCS hosted a special session with leading digital consultant and AI strategist, Celestine Achi, at its headquarters. Achi, author of AI-Powered PR: The Essential Guide for Communications Leaders to Master Artificial Intelligence, presented his book to the Service’s Public Relations Unit and unveiled a pioneering analytics tool, the NCS Live PR Attribution Dashboard.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, received the guest and commended Achi’s contribution to modern communication thinking. “Storytelling backed by data and powered by technology is now a strategic tool for deepening public trust. The Customs Service is proud to be at the forefront,” Maiwada stated.
Achi, in return, praised the NCS for its professionalism and innovation in public relations, describing the PR sentiment around the service as “an outstanding 85%, rare in any public institution.”
“This dashboard isn’t just a tool, it’s a first-of-its-kind transformation in government communications,” he said. “It shows that the Nigeria Customs Service is not only embracing the digital era but is actively shaping the future of public engagement.”
The engagements in Brussels and Abuja reflect a dual victory for the NCS: global recognition for its reform agenda and local acknowledgment for its communication innovation. The Service continues to redefine the future of customs and public sector storytelling with purpose and precision.
fasnewsng.com was in attendance at both sessions, where national pride and international praise converged in honour of a service that is proving to be one of Nigeria’s brightest reform stories.
By Folake Sokoya
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