The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced efforts to tackle the spread of fake news and online scams targeting its reputation through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital data-tracking tools.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this through the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy 
Comptroller Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, at the Neccipr Roundtable.
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The event, themed “Algorithm Influence and Public Relations,” focused on the growing influence of artificial intelligence and digital platforms in shaping public perception and information dissemination.
Maiwada explained that the Service was deploying AI not only in its core operational activities but also in strategic communication to improve public understanding of its operations.
He said effective communication was essential to ensuring that members of the public understood and appreciated the reasons behind the actions of Customs officers.
“The role of AI cannot be overemphasised, especially within our operations. Over the years, AI has been deployed in our core operational duties as well as strategic communication,” he said.
According to him, AI also supports risk management by assessing imported goods and categorising them according to their risk levels to enable appropriate Customs interventions.
He added that the technology could analyse public sentiment and provide insights into how Nigerians perceive the activities of the Service.
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Maiwada further said the NCS was using available digital platforms to establish facts and collaborating with relevant agencies to identify and apprehend individuals responsible for spreading misleading information.
Earlier, the convener of the Neccipr Roundtable ’26, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, said the programme was established on the conviction that public relations professionals must go beyond managing messages to actively shape national discourse.
She noted that the growing influence of artificial intelligence and algorithms had raised concerns about who controls the information Nigerians consume and how it shapes public opinion.
“This year, we confront a question that touches every one of us. When machines decide what we see, who is really shaping the Nigerian mind? Who now controls the flow of information that shapes what Nigerians believe?” she said.
Ali-Balogun added that a single algorithm could influence political narratives, promote conspiracy theories and determine the information consumed and shared by millions of people.
The event also featured keynote presentations by the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, alongside other dignitaries.
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The gathering brought together communication professionals and stakeholders to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence for public relations and the need to sustain credible information practices.
