Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has had seventy of its public relations officers formally inducted into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Service’s first mass induction into the professional body in twelve years. The ceremony took place on Monday, 13 July 2026, at NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, and marks a deliberate step toward building a certified communications workforce within the Service after a long gap since its last such induction in 2013.
Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, addressed the newly inducted officers, framing the twelve-year gap as one the Service was now closing as part of a broader institutional overhaul. He linked the induction to the Service’s recent gains, including its recognition as the best-performing government agency in Ease of Doing Business, arguing that sustaining that momentum requires trained communication professionals rather than ad hoc messaging. He said that as the Service continues its shift toward technology-driven customs administration, its public relations officers need to stay ahead of misinformation and actively manage public perception. “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,” Adeniyi said.
Adeniyi also disclosed that the Service’s Customs Cares corporate social responsibility programme is due to receive recognition at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, calling it a legacy initiative that depends on continued, professional communication to sustain its visibility and impact.
NIPR President and Chairman of Council Dr. Ike Neliaku commended the Service for prioritising professional certification among its communications staff after over a decade without a comparable induction, saying the NCS under Adeniyi’s leadership has grown into an institution recognised both domestically and within the global customs community for its reform record. “You can no longer dismiss matters concerning the Service. You must be proud of this as a Nigerian,” Neliaku said.
Retired Comptroller of Customs and former NCS National Public Relations Officer Joseph Attah urged the inductees to hold to core standards of the profession, truthfulness, accuracy, and responsibility in their communication, and to continue developing professionally through NIPR seminars and workshops. He noted that effective crisis communication in particular requires composure, empathy, and strategic judgment.
In his welcome remarks, current National Public Relations Officer Deputy Comptroller of Customs Aliyu Maiwada credited the twelve-year wait finally ending to sustained commitment from the Comptroller-General and from previous NCS spokespersons who helped build the Service’s communications unit to its current standing.