NCBN boss, Jerry Wesley, dies in Abuja health facility

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network (NCBN), Engr. Jerry Wesley Edirin, is dead.

NCBN operates both television and a popular radio station in Abuja with endorsement and partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

Late Engr. Wesley Edirin, was last year honoured by Youths Digest at its “Annual Campus Journalism Awards (CJA)” in Abuja.

He was bestowed with an award for supporting emerging media entrepreneurs, and mentoring the younger generation of journalists.

PRNigeria, learnt that Wesley Edirin, passed on Tuesday morning, at an undisclosed health facility after a brief illness

Recalled that the late NCBN Managing Director, in an interview with Economic Confidential last year, pledged to revolutionize the Nigerian media landscape using the state-of-the-art digital broadcasting investment to aid in rebranding the image of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), while also promoting business opportunities in Nigeria and creating job creation in the country.

He noted that NCBN is a public-private partnership initiative which will be on the same pedestal with global media giants and be used to create awareness in all sectors of Nigeria’s economy in boosting economic growth, brand the image of customs, the country and Africa at large.

While stating the significant impact of the world-class broadcasting service will have on the continent, he added that it will serve as a means of attracting investors into the country, thereby creating more jobs for teeming youths in the country.

“Most importantly, the NBCN will provide timely and instant digital security-related broadcast information which will in turn prevent accidents, kidnapping and banditry in the country.

“We are partnering with customs so that we will serve as a channel for bringing in investors and run it for them for a period of years in a cooperative arrangement that brings better services and improves the capacity to operate efficiently and effectively.

“Similarly, there are significant amount of untapped wealth and investment in Africa. Our plan is to look for investors around the globe. This means NCBN is going to be the voice of the Nigerian customs and the country as a whole.

“However, we hope to put our presence in all the 774-local governments in the country in shortest possible period. Both our TV and radio stations in Abuja and Lagos will be launched once we have perfected all the necessary requirements and we will kick off with 100 staff,” he noted.

The departed business tycoon (then) added that the focus of the NCBN will be on enhancing economic growth through development of local contents on various areas in the country and to give a new face to media communication in boosting the national digital economy and security.

“We are targeting many countries to create our presence. That is why our contents will be centered around corruption, finance, custom business hour, security, sports, culture and poverty reduction. Before the end of the year, we will have a gathering of custom officials in Africa and all over the world to discuss on pressing issues of the customs service,” he said.