The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called for the deliberate and strategic use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria’s governance structures.
According to him, AI holds powerful potential to reduce corruption, improve transparency, and significantly enhance service delivery within public institutions.
Adeniyi made these remarks on Monday while delivering a public lecture at the 7th convocation of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ). Addressing students, graduates, media professionals, academics, and policy stakeholders, he spoke on the theme: “Artificial Intelligence in Public Governance: Transforming Society through Intelligent Systems.”
He encouraged young journalists to move beyond basic reporting by acquiring specialised skills in areas such as data analysis, algorithmic scrutiny, and tech policy.
“You must understand how algorithms work, how they are trained, and how to critically evaluate them to ask the right questions,” he said.
Adeniyi also advised graduates to develop deep knowledge in sectors actively adopting AI, including the Nigeria Customs Service, and to build relationships within the wider AI ecosystem, encompassing technologists, regulators, civil society, and industry leaders.
He stressed that journalists in the AI era must maintain independence from tech firms, stay alert to algorithmic bias, and be committed to representing communities affected by automated systems, particularly the most vulnerable.
According to reports, 60 of the 707 graduating NIJ students received distinction awards.
“Ensure those impacted by automated systems are subjects, not mere objects of your reporting,” he stated, advocating for ethical journalism and careful verification of data.
Adeniyi also urged students to focus on acquiring irreplaceable human skills such as critical reasoning, investigative rigor, and empathetic storytelling — qualities AI cannot replicate.
NIJ Provost Gbenga Adefaye explained that the theme was carefully selected to prepare students for the rapidly changing tech-driven world. He said the choice of Adeniyi as guest speaker stemmed from his leadership experience in a public institution where transparency, accountability, and the use of advanced technology are central.
According to Adefaye, “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.”
What you should know
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi is advocating for the use of AI in Nigeria’s governance to curb corruption and improve transparency, while urging young journalists to adapt through tech-based skills and ethical storytelling in a rapidly evolving digital era.
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