The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called for the strategic deployment of Artificial Intelligence within Nigeria’s public governance framework, asserting that the transformative technology holds immense potential to combat corruption, enhance transparency, and improve service delivery across government institutions.
Adeniyi made this assertion on Monday while delivering a public lecture at the 7th convocation ceremony of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
Addressing an audience comprising students, graduates, academics, media practitioners, and public policy stakeholders, he spoke on the theme: “Artificial Intelligence in Public Governance: Transforming Society through Intelligent Systems.”
The Customs chief urged young journalists to expand their capabilities beyond traditional reporting by undertaking specialised training in data analysis, algorithmic investigation, and the broader field of technology policy.
“You must understand how algorithms work, how they are trained, and how to critically evaluate them to ask the right questions,” he advised.
Adeniyi encouraged the graduates to pursue subject-matter expertise in sectors where AI technologies are already being applied, such as the Nigeria Customs Service, and to proactively build networks within the AI ecosystem, including connections with technical experts, policymakers, civil society actors, and industry leaders.
He underscored the importance of maintaining journalistic independence in the era of artificial intelligence, highlighting the need to be vigilant against algorithmic bias and to prioritise the voices of communities affected by automated systems, especially the most vulnerable.
“Ensure those impacted by automated systems are subjects, not mere objects of your reporting,” he said, while stressing the importance of ethical storytelling and meticulous data verification in the digital age.
Adeniyi also urged the students to prepare for an evolving employment landscape shaped by technology, by equipping themselves with skills that are difficult for AI to replicate — such as critical thinking, investigative journalism, and empathetic, human-centred storytelling.
According to Vanguard, 707 students graduated from the institution during the ceremony, with 60 earning distinction honours.
The Provost of the NIJ, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, said the theme of the convocation lecture was carefully selected in response to the global technological shift and the increasing relevance of digital systems in everyday governance and communication.
He noted that the NIJ had invited the Customs Comptroller-General as the keynote speaker due to his unique background and leadership in a major public institution where transparency, accountability, and technology integration are essential.
He said, “The topic was chosen for public and national relevance. If you are talking to young men and women who just left school, the main thing dominating the public space is now ICT, and organisations leveraging artificial intelligence.
“And now you have somebody who has completed and served in the media space, particularly public relations. Who is also leading a very massive public institution where accountability, transparency, openness and the allocation of technology are key.
“And again, to also speak to those who are just going into the world and face the reality of survival.”
The convocation ceremony served as a rallying call for young communicators and public stakeholders alike to embrace AI as a tool for social transformation while upholding the values of accountability, ethics, and inclusivity.
