Customs CG Urges PROs to Embrace Strategic Communication, Drive Reforms
Kathy Kyari
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has urged Public Relations Officers (PROs) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to move beyond conventional media engagement and embrace strategic communication as a tool for driving reforms, strengthening institutional credibility, and sustaining public trust.
Adeniyi made the call on Friday at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Conference held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The four-day conference focused on repositioning corporate communication as a strategic management tool for institutional effectiveness.
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, all aimed at strengthening the Service's communication architecture.
Addressing participants, the Comptroller-General described the conference as a timely platform for reflection, learning, and institutional renewal, noting that the Service is at a defining stage of its transformation journey.
He stressed the critical role of communication in the success of reforms, saying, "Around 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 noted that the rapid growth of digital media, artificial intelligence, and real-time information has changed the communication landscape, requiring Customs Public Relations Officers to become more proactive, research-driven, and intelligence-led in communicating government policies and the Service's activities.
"Every seizure, every reform, every trade facilitation initiative and every act of service must be communicated professionally and purposefully." Adeniyi said.
Earlier, the Acting Zonal Coordinator of Zone 'C', Comptroller Pascal Chibuoke, described corporate communication as a critical instrument for shaping public perception and strengthening confidence in public institutions.
"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." He said.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, described the 2026 conference as another milestone in the evolution of Customs corporate communication.
He said the event built on the successes of previous editions held in Lagos, Gwagwalada, and Kano, adding that it was designed to develop practical solutions and reposition public relations within the Service.
"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." Maiwada said.
In her closing remarks, the Customs Area Controller of Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, commended the Comptroller-General for sustaining investments in professional development and institutional capacity building.
She encouraged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the conference to improve service delivery across their various commands.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahaya, praised Adeniyi's leadership in institutionalising strategic communication within the Nigeria Customs Service. They also challenged Public Relations Officers to uphold professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
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