By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has underscored the importance of strategic communication in sustaining the Service’s ongoing reforms, urging public relations officers to proactively counter misinformation and strengthen public confidence in Customs operations.
Adeniyi made the call while speaking during the induction of 70 Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations officers into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) at the Service Headquarters in Abuja.
Adeniyi said effective communication has become indispensable as Customs transitions to a technology-driven administration.
He warned that misinformation and false narratives could undermine reforms if not addressed promptly and professionally.
“Rumours will be heard, narratives will be pushed, so be ready to use your communication with clarity and the necessary measures so rumours can be addressed swiftly and decisively,” he charged the newly inducted officers.
The induction, the first mass admission of Customs public relations personnel into the NIPR since 2013, is part of the Service’s efforts to professionalise its communication workforce and align its public engagement with ongoing institutional reforms.
Adeniyi described the exercise as a strategic investment in a communication architecture capable of projecting the Service’s achievements with credibility and transparency.
He said the reforms that earned the Nigeria Customs Service recognition as the country’s best-performing government agency in Ease of Doing Business must be backed by professional communicators who can effectively engage stakeholders, explain policy changes and build public trust.
The Customs boss also revealed that the Service’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Customs Cares, is set to receive recognition at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.
He described the programme as a legacy project whose impact should be amplified through ethical and strategic communication.
President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr. Ike Neliaku, commended the Service for investing in certified communication professionals, saying the Nigeria Customs Service has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most admired public institutions because of its reforms and growing global reputation.
Meabwhilde, retired Comptroller of Customs and former National Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, urged the newly inducted officers to uphold truth, accuracy and professionalism in their duties.
He stressed that effective crisis communication requires integrity, empathy and continuous professional development.
Eariler in his welcome address, the National ⁹Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Aliyu Maiwada, credited the milestone to the support of the Comptroller-General and the contributions of former Customs spokespersons who laid the foundation for the growth of the Public Relations Unit.
