The Tin Can Island Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has organised a capacity-building workshop for maritime journalists to deepen their understanding of Customs operations, trade modernisation reforms and global best practices.
The workshop, themed “Compliance, Collaboration and Modernisation: Aligning the Nigeria Customs with Global Best Practices,” held on Wednesday at the Command, was designed to strengthen collaboration between the NCS and the media and promote accurate, informed reporting of port and trade activities.
Welcoming participants, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Frank Onyeka, said the training came at a critical stage of the Service’s transformation agenda. He described maritime journalists as strategic partners in nation-building, noting that an informed press is essential for public enlightenment, accountability and investor confidence.
According to Onyeka, the workshop was structured to enhance journalists’ knowledge of Customs laws, procedures, compliance requirements and modernisation initiatives, while also providing a platform for constructive engagement. He added that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, places strong emphasis on stakeholder collaboration, particularly with the media.
The training featured sessions on the NCS Act, 2023; the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu; the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme; Time Release Study (TRS); global supply chain security; and ethical maritime journalism.
In Session One, Deputy Comptroller Chinyere Nwachukwu explained that the NCS Act, 2023 repealed the long-standing Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) of 1958, introducing a modern legal framework aligned with contemporary trade realities. She highlighted enhanced enforcement powers, clearer institutional structures, new offences and stiffer sanctions aimed at strengthening compliance and transparency.
Amina Ojelabi Broadcast Journalists presenting Award of Excellence to A.C Ibrahim at the Maritime Journalists Workshop Tincan Lagos
Session Two focused on B’Odogwu, with Assistant Comptroller Mary-Anne Egwunyenga describing it as a legally grounded trade facilitation and governance tool that improves cargo clearance timelines, revenue assurance, data integrity and inter-agency collaboration through automation and paperless processes.
Comptroller Onyeka (CAC Tincan Chapter) presenting Award of excellence to Public Relations Officer Tincan Chapter Ivara Onyeka at the Maritime journalists workshop lagos
Further sessions examined the role of AEO and TRS in customs modernisation, alignment with World Customs Organization standards, and the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards for securing global supply chains through Customs-to-Customs, Customs-to-Business and Customs-to-Other Government Agencies cooperation.
In a session on ethical journalism, Oluwaseyi Adeyemo, Publisher of Inside Watch Africa, urged maritime journalists to balance critical reporting with responsible storytelling that highlights credible reforms and progress in the sector. He stressed that professionalism, integrity and national interest must guide maritime journalism.
The workshop concluded with the presentation of certificates, plaques and electronic gadgets to participants and facilitators, underscoring the Command’s commitment to sustained capacity building and effective media engagement in support of Nigeria’s trade modernisation drive.
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