Nigeria Customs Wins Global Award for Excellence in Public Relations
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has once again placed the country on the global stage, clinching the Golden World Award (GWA) for Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management.
It was honoured at the 2025 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Gala, held on Friday, at the Mövenpick Hotel, Accra, Ghana.
Presented by IPRA President, Nataša Pavlović Bujas, the award recognises the NCS for its outstanding communication strategies that have strengthened transparency, stakeholder engagement, and institutional credibility in customs administration.
The winning entry — a publication authored by Image Merchants Promotion Limited — documents the communication reforms and strategies pioneered under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
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The work, which has evolved into a reference framework for public relations scholarship in Nigeria, was lauded for its real-life application of PR principles in organisational reform.
In his remarks, Philip Sheppard, Secretary-General of IPRA, described the publication as a model for effective leadership communication.
According to him, it demonstrates how well-structured public relations can be leveraged to drive institutional transformation.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Service, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller (AC) Abdullahi Maiwada, expressed deep appreciation to IPRA for the global honour.
He said the recognition reaffirms the Service’s commitment to professionalism and proactive communication.
“This award is a validation of the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to professionalism, transparency, and stakeholder engagement,” Maiwada said.
“Under the leadership of the Comptroller-General, we have repositioned communication as a strategic tool for reform and trust-building.”
It would be recalled that the NCS was previously honoured with the Golden World Award for Crisis Communication at the 2024 IPRA Gala held in Belgrade, Serbia.
This latest recognition, therefore, consolidates the Service’s growing reputation for excellence and innovation in global communication practice.
The award presentation formed part of the Public Relations Knowledge Sharing Conference themed “Global Realities and Innovative Communication”, which held from Wednesday, 1st to Friday, 3rd October 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The conference attracted high-profile communication experts from across Africa and beyond, including Dr. Ike Neliaku, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); Nataša Pavlović Bujas, outgoing IPRA President; Arik Karani, President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA); and Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, among others.
At the closing session, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana urged public relations professionals to uphold ethics, integrity, and excellence in shaping public narratives.
“As communicators, you hold the power to shape narratives and influence public trust,” Mahama said.
“Our continent needs professionals who communicate with integrity, clarity, and purpose to support national development.”
Also speaking at the gala night, Ghana’s Vice President, H.E. Jane Nana, congratulated all award recipients, praising their role in promoting strategic communication globally.
The event concluded on a historic note as Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah was inaugurated as the new President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) — becoming the first African to lead the 70-year-old global body, a feat widely celebrated across the continent’s PR community.
