By Idowu Addison
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has called on Public Relations Officers of the Service to embrace strategic and impactful communication, saying effective public engagement is critical to the success of ongoing reforms and the sustenance of public trust.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, Adeniyi said the role of Customs spokespersons must extend beyond routine media relations to shaping public understanding of the Service’s policies, reforms and achievements.
The four-day conference centred on repositioning corporate communication as a strategic management tool for improving institutional effectiveness and supporting the Service’s modernisation agenda.
According to the Comptroller-General, the conference offered participants an opportunity to reflect, exchange ideas and strengthen the communication capacity of the Service at a crucial stage in its transformation.
He noted that communication has become a core management function globally, stressing that the success of any reform depends not only on implementation but also on public understanding, acceptance and confidence.
“Across the world, communication has evolved from a support service into a strategic management function. Reforms cannot succeed unless they are understood, accepted and trusted by the people they are designed to serve,” Adeniyi said.
He said the growing influence of digital media, artificial intelligence and real-time information requires Customs Public Relations Officers to become more proactive, research-driven and intelligence-led in communicating government policies and the Service’s operations, adding, “Every seizure, every reform, every trade facilitation initiative and every act of service must be communicated professionally and purposefully.”
Earlier, the Acting Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’, Comptroller Pascal Chibuoke, described corporate communication as a strategic asset that shapes public perception, strengthens stakeholder confidence, promotes transparency and reinforces institutional legitimacy, stating that, “Corporate communication is no longer a support function. It is a strategic asset that shapes public perception, strengthens stakeholder confidence, promotes transparency and reinforces institutional legitimacy.”
The National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, described this year’s conference as another milestone in the evolution of Customs corporate communication, saying it built on the successes recorded in Lagos, Gwagwalada and Kano over the last three editions. According to Maiwada, “Institutional reforms cannot succeed without an effective communication framework. This conference was designed not merely to exchange ideas but to develop practical solutions, strengthen professional networks and reposition Public Relations as a strategic corporate communication function within the Nigeria Customs Service.”
Similarly, the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, in his closing remarks, commended the Comptroller-General for sustaining investments in professional development and institutional capacity building, urging participants to apply the knowledge acquired to improve service delivery across their commands.
In their goodwill mesaages, the President of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Ike Neliaku, and the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhassan Yahaya, applauded Adeniyi’s leadership in institutionalising strategic communication within the Service and challenged Public Relations Officers to uphold professional standards.
The conference, themed, “Realigning Corporate Communication as a Strategic Driver of Institutional Effectiveness and Public Trust,” featured technical sessions on Customs modernisation, crisis communication, media intelligence, digital innovation, stakeholder engagement and evolving communication technologies as part of efforts to shape the future of the Service’s communication architecture.
