By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its ongoing institutional reforms are strengthening integrity, transparency and accountability while helping to curb corruption and promote ethical conduct among its officers.
The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the 4th Economic Confidential Lecture and 6th National Spokespersons Awards organised by Image Merchants Promotion Limited in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event themed, “Anti-Corruption Reforms, Economic Stability and Effective Communication,” Maiwada said the Service had continued to align its operations with global customs standards through integrity surveys, institutional reforms and collaboration with anti-corruption agencies.
He said integrity remained a key priority of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), adding that feedback from integrity perception surveys conducted among internal and external stakeholders had influenced reforms and modernisation initiatives within the Service.
“The World Customs Organisation is very intentional about the integrity of Customs officers worldwide.
Nigeria Customs has conducted integrity perception surveys involving both internal and external stakeholders, and the feedback from those exercises has continued to shape our reforms, our modernisation projects and even our collaboration with other government agencies,” Maiwada said.
He also disclosed that the Code of Conduct Bureau had recently engaged with the NCS as part of efforts to strengthen ethical standards among Customs personnel.
According to him, sustained collaboration with relevant institutions remained critical to improving accountability and ensuring that officers adhered to professional standards.
Earlier, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Adamu Aliyu, described corruption as a global challenge capable of weakening economies, widening inequality and threatening national security.
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Aliyu stressed that corruption was not peculiar to Nigeria or Africa, noting that cases recorded across different countries showed that corrupt practices remained a global phenomenon.
Meanwhile, the event recognised Assistant Superintendent of Customs I Folusho Adeogun, Liaison Officer of the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network (NCBN), who emerged as Young Communicator of the Year at the 6th National Spokespersons Awards.
Adeogun dedicated the award to the NCS and pledged to contribute further to the development of the Service through effective communication.
Maiwada congratulated the officer, describing the recognition as a reflection of his commitment, professionalism and hard work.
“I am particularly delighted to see one of our young officers receive this recognition. No amount of mentorship can produce results unless the individual is willing to learn and improve himself,” he said.
Jury Chairperson, Professor Saudat Abdulbaqi, said the awards had evolved beyond an annual recognition platform into an initiative aimed at promoting professionalism, effective communication and public trust.
