Lagos: Comptroller‑General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, has called on maritime journalists to play a stronger role in the agenda‑setting that will accelerate development and growth in the sector.
Adeniyi made the appeal during the 10th seminar for maritime journalists and inauguration of the Centre for Maritime Media and Capacity Development held at BWC Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday.
Adeniyi, who was represented by an Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG), Mohammed Babandede, urged the media to always reflect the shortcomings of the NCS in its reportage to enable it to improve on its services.
“Our doors are open for engagement, collaboration and partnership with the media as well as our stakeholders to enable us to achieve our core mandate of trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling,” Adeniyi added.
The Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr Pius Akutah, in his keynote address, said the media had contributed to greater transparency within the maritime industry landscape and ensured competitiveness.
Akutah, who was represented by the Director, Special Duties of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Mr Moses Abere, said that maritime journalism required deeper and digital knowledge to achieve greater success in the Maritime Industry.
He enjoined journalists to always cultivate the culture of appreciation, accuracy, balance, and integrity, which are essential to journalism practice.
Speaking on the Federal Government’s single window policy, Dr Collins Farinto, a former Acting President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), said the policy would solve many problems, especially for customs brokers.
He expressed optimism that the system would be channelled electronically, trade would be streamlined, and the single-window policy would boost revenue and allow a single entry point.
Farinto said other benefits of the single window included efficiency and transparency.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Dr Abdullahi Maiwada, shed light on the seminar topic, “Data Journalism in Maritime.”
Maiwada said data was key to telling bigger stories through analytics, adding that it was critical to both journalism and public relations.
He said further that data analytics was broad, while data analysis examined past events to draw conclusions.
Maiwada also identified data analytics as descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive.
The National Public Relations Officer of Customs explained that data enablers usually helped analyse situations and make decisions.
Maiwada urged maritime journalists to embrace artificial intelligence, given the reality that it had come to stay.
In his contribution, A Maritime Lawyer, Dr Emeka Akabogu (SAN), also the Chairman of the occasion, commended the significant contributions of both stakeholders and the media in ensuring prompt discussion of Maritime issues.
Akabogu also commended the NCS’s efforts to facilitate legitimate trade, noting that these activities had enhanced customs efficiency and increased cargo volume.
He urged the media to explore the centre to improve their quality and for dynamic reportage.
Speaking at the Launch of the Maritime Media and Capacity Development Centre, the Managing Director of First Mediacon Network Ltd, Mr Sesan Onileimo, said it was a turning point for an industry long in need of a structured capacity-building institution.
Onileimo disclosed that the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi; Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Shippers Council, Dr Pius Akutah; Capt. Wareddi Enisuoh, amongst others, constituted the personalities steering the media and capacity development centre.
The event featured the presentation of awards to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; the Chief Executive Officer of the Shippers Council, Pius Akutah; and the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr Abdullah Maiwada.