The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has received international recognition for its strategic communication and stakeholder engagement efforts. Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, received a Special Award of Excellence at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards in Athens, Greece, on Friday, September 25, 2026.
The award recognises the Service’s approach to transparent communication, stakeholder engagement, and ethical public relations in supporting the implementation and public understanding of its ongoing reforms. These reforms aim to modernise Customs operations, improve trade facilitation, and strengthen institutional transparency.
Receiving the recognition, CGC Adeniyi described the honour as international acknowledgement of the Nigeria Customs Service’s reform efforts. He noted that it would further encourage the Service to deepen its adoption of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, in public communication and stakeholder engagement.
CGC Adeniyi said effective communication remained critical to the success of government reforms because citizens and stakeholders needed to understand their objectives, implementation challenges, and expected benefits. The NCS reform agenda aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly efforts to improve Nigeria’s trade competitiveness, facilitate exports, and strengthen the country’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The IPRA Grand Prix was awarded to Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, for its campaign, AI for Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy. The campaign grew out of a research project led by IMPR’s Chief Executive Officer, Yushau Shuaib, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Centre for Crisis Communication.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, the President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), Esther Cobbah, stated that the return to Athens was particularly significant because the city was where the association developed its Code of Conduct for public relations practice 60 years ago. The 2026 gathering provided an opportunity to celebrate individuals, agencies, and organisations that had applied the principles of ethical communication while delivering excellence in their work.
CGC Adeniyi hopes that by 2027, the NCS and more Nigerian agencies will feature prominently among global award recipients. He celebrated Nigeria’s win at the IPRA Grand Prix, describing the achievement as an indication of the country’s growing participation in international strategic communication.
Key points
- The Nigeria Customs Service received international recognition for its strategic communication and stakeholder engagement efforts.
- Comptroller-General of Customs Adeniyi received the 2026 IPRA Golden World Award for the Service's reform efforts.
- The NCS reform agenda aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies to improve Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
