Adeniyi Urges Customs PROs to Embrace Strategic Communication, AI to Boost Public Trust

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has challenged Public Relations Officers (PROs) across the Service to move beyond traditional media engagement and adopt strategic communication to drive institutional reforms, strengthen credibility and sustain public confidence.

Adeniyi gave the charge on Friday at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The four-day conference, themed “Realigning Corporate Communication as a Strategic Driver of Institutional Effectiveness and Public Trust,” focused on repositioning corporate communication as a key management tool for improving the Service’s effectiveness.

Addressing participants, the Customs boss said communication has become central to the success of reforms, noting that institutional changes can only succeed when they are properly understood, accepted and trusted by the public.

“Across 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 said.

He stressed that the rapid rise of digital media, artificial intelligence and real-time information demands a more proactive, research-driven and intelligence-led approach to public communication.

According to him, every Customs operation from seizures and trade facilitation initiatives to policy reforms and public service delivery must be communicated professionally and strategically to enhance transparency and public confidence.

Earlier, the Acting Zonal Coordinator of Zone ‘C’, Comptroller Pascal Chibuoke, described corporate communication as a strategic asset that shapes public perception, builds stakeholder confidence, promotes transparency and reinforces institutional legitimacy.

Also speaking, the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, said the 2026 conference marked another milestone in the evolution of Customs’ corporate communication strategy.

He noted that the conference built on the successes of previous editions held in Lagos, Gwagwalada and Kano, adding that it was designed to develop practical solutions, strengthen professional networks and reposition public relations as a strategic function within the Nigeria Customs Service.

In her closing remarks, the Customs Area Controller of Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, commended the Comptroller-General for prioritising professional development and institutional capacity building. She urged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the conference to improve service delivery across their respective commands.

In separate goodwill messages, 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 for strengthening strategic communication within the Nigeria Customs Service and encouraged Public Relations Officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism.

The conference featured technical sessions on Customs modernisation, crisis communication, media intelligence, digital innovation, stakeholder engagement and emerging communication technologies, all aimed at strengthening the Service’s communication architecture in line with global best practices.