The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has declared open its 2025 Public Relations Officers (PROs) Workshop with a call on officers to embrace professionalism, resilience, and innovation in safeguarding the institution’s image and building stakeholder trust.
The four-day workshop commenced on Monday, 22 September 2025, at the Centre of Excellence, Twin Theatres, Bayero University, Kano.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, declared the workshop open.
Delivering the CGC’s keynote address, Bomodi noted that the Customs Service operates at the “confluence of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security,” where every decision impacts citizens, the business community, and international partners.
He explained that in such a sensitive environment, communication must transcend announcements and ceremonies. He emphasised that public relations officers are interpreters of policy, mediators in disputes, crisis managers during operational challenges, and custodians of the Service’s corporate image.
“Our actions may speak, but it is the voice of public relations that interprets, contextualises, and gives meaning to these actions. That is why this workshop is not just a routine exercise, but a strategic investment in the future of the Service,” he said.
The CGC highlighted that the workshop’s theme, “Beyond Masters of Ceremony: The Strategic Role of Public Relations Officers for Institutional Growth and Stakeholder Trust”, was timely as it repositioned PROs away from being mere event announcers to becoming central players in policy communication, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement.
He urged participants to master digital communication, artificial intelligence, and crisis response, stressing that the rapid pace of technology and the risks of misinformation required sharp skills.
According to him, “The work of a PRO is not without its challenges. You will face crises that test your judgment, criticism that questions your integrity, and moments where silence may seem safer than speaking. But it is in these moments that your professionalism is most needed.”
Bomodi further described the Customs, Bayero University partnership as “a bridge between scholarship and practice,” assuring officers that the Service’s leadership recognises PR as a pillar of reform and not an afterthought. He pledged that capacity building would remain a top priority.
Welcoming students of the institution who attended the session, he noted that their exposure to the experiences of serving officers would enrich their academic learning.
Declaring the workshop open, he charged participants to recommit themselves to professionalism, innovation, and integrity, reminding them: “The legacy you leave will not be measured by the number of events you anchored, but by the trust you built, the narratives you shaped, and the credibility you sustained for the Service.”
The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, represented by his Director-General of Media, Sanusi Bature, commended the Customs Service for its contributions to national security, trade facilitation, and revenue generation. He stressed that integrity and fairness are at the heart of effective public relations, praising the Service’s National PRO, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, for setting a benchmark in building public trust.
He also urged PR professionals to master artificial intelligence, digital analytics, and social media engagement, while cautioning that no technology could replace the human values of honesty, empathy, and responsibility in communication.
The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Professor Haruna Musa, who hosted the event, welcomed participants and assured them of the university’s continuous partnership in training and research. He described the workshop as a platform that “blends theory with practice in preparing officers for the demands of modern communication.”
Adding to the discourse, Dr. Ike Neliaku, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), underscored the role of strategic communication in nation-building, urging PROs to move beyond perception management to actively shaping the credibility and trust on which governance thrives.
Also speaking, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, highlighted the role of social media in public communication. He advised officers to deploy online platforms as tools for transparency and accountability while guarding against disinformation.
Other resource persons expressed optimism that the workshop would sharpen officers’ communication skills, deepen engagement with stakeholders, and strengthen the image of the Nigeria Customs Service as a modern, forward-looking institution.
By Fikunmi Sokoya
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