Customs Inducts 70 Public Relations Officers to Strengthen Strategic Communication

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has inducted 70 Public Relations officers into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), marking its first mass induction into the professional body in over a decade.

The induction ceremony, held at the Service Headquarters in Abuja, is part of efforts to strengthen strategic communication and build a corps of certified professionals to effectively project the Service’s reforms, operations and achievements.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the induction as a strategic investment in the future of the Service’s communication architecture. He said the Customs’ recent achievements, including its recognition as the best-performing government agency in Ease of Doing Business, were driven by deliberate reforms that require skilled communication professionals to tell the Service’s story with credibility and accuracy.

Adeniyi urged the newly inducted officers to remain proactive in countering misinformation, managing public perception and sustaining public confidence as the Service transitions to a technology-driven Customs administration. He also disclosed that the Service’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Customs Cares, will be recognised at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, describing it as a legacy project that deserves greater visibility.

President and Chairman of the NIPR Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for investing in professionalism and certified communication practitioners. He said the Service had become a model of institutional reforms, corporate excellence and global relevance under the leadership of the Comptroller-General.

A former National Public Relations Officer of the Service, retired Comptroller Joseph Attah, charged the officers to uphold the ethics of the profession by remaining truthful, accurate and responsible in their communication. He also encouraged continuous professional development to enhance effective crisis communication.

In his welcome address, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Comptroller Aliyu Maiwada, attributed the milestone to the commitment of the Comptroller-General and the contributions of former Customs spokespersons who laid the foundation for the growth of the Public Relations unit.

The induction of the 70 officers is expected to strengthen professionalism in the Service’s communication system and reinforce its ongoing reform agenda.