Nigeria Customs deploys AI tools to tackle fake news and online scams

The Nigeria Customs Service is deploying artificial intelligence and digital tracking tools to counter fake news and online scams that could damage its public image. Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi, represented by spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada at the NECCIPR Roundtable 2026 in Lagos, said AI is also used to assess risks in imported goods and guide Customs interventions. The technology can analyse public sentiment, while Customs checks information on digital platforms and works with other agencies to identify those spreading misleading claims. Roundtable convener Nkechi Ali-Balogun warned that algorithms and AI increasingly shape public opinion and the flow of information in Nigeria.