Moses Ofodeme
The Nigerian Institute of Journalism has conferred a Fellowship Award on the Comptroller‑General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, in a special convocation held on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, in Lagos. The event marked the CGC’s formal recognition as one of the institute’s most distinguished alumni and highlighted his sustained contribution to public service and national development.
Speaking at the ceremony, Adeniyi said the Fellowship carries both personal and institutional significance, drawing a line from his days at NIJ to his current role at the head of Nigeria Customs Service. He credited the institute for instilling in him “professionalism as a standard, not a performance; discipline as a habit, not an event; and continuous self‑development as a personal obligation, not to an employer, not to a rank, but to oneself.”
He noted that the honour extends beyond himself to the Nigeria Customs Service, observing that “while we render service to our country, some people somewhere are watching and our day of rewards can actually come like this.”
In a concrete commitment to the institute’s practical training mandate, Adeniyi announced that the Nigeria Customs Service would support the establishment of a multimedia and resource centre at NIJ. He outlined plans for a two‑storey facility to house a radio station, editing and production suites, and integrated workspaces where students can work with audio, video, animation, text, and images. The project will follow a formal needs assessment to ensure the structure meets the evolving demands of modern journalism.
Chairman of the NIJ Governing Council, Olusegun Osoba, described the conferment as historic, disclosing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the Fellowship and that Adeniyi is the first NIJ alumnus to receive the award. He said the Fellowship is reserved for individuals with exceptional track records in their fields and praised the CGC as a “shining example” of the institute’s impact.
Provost Gbenga Adefaye noted that Adeniyi’s career illustrates how the values of discipline, ethical responsibility, and intellectual rigour taught at NIJ can translate into strong leadership in other sectors. He said the planned multimedia centre will further anchor the institute’s mission of equipping students with hands‑on, industry‑relevant skills.