By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Nigeria Customs Service has declared open its 2025 Public Relations Officers Workshop on Monday, 22 September 2025, with a call on officers to embrace professionalism, resilience, and innovation in safeguarding the institution’s image and building stakeholder trust.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented by the Ag. Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, made the declaration at the Centre of Excellence, Twin Theatres, Bayero University, Kano.
Ag. DCG Bomodi, delivering the CGC’s keynote address, said the Customs Service operates at the “confluence of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security,” where every decision impacts Nigerians, the business community, and international partners.
He explained that in such a sensitive environment, communication must go beyond announcements and ceremonies, stressing that public relations officers serve as 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 noted 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, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement.
He urged participants to master digital communication, artificial intelligence, and crisis response, noting that the rapid pace of technology and the risk 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.”
Ag. DCG Bomodi, who further described the Customs-Bayero University partnership as “a bridge between scholarship and practice”, assured officers that the Customs leadership recognises PR as a pillar of reform, not an afterthought, adding that capacity building would remain a priority.
The CGC’s representative also welcomed students from the institution who attended the session, emphasising 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, noting: “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 emphasised that integrity and fairness were the heart of effective public relations, adding that the Service’s National PRO had set a benchmark in building public trust.
He further stressed that artificial intelligence, digital analytics, and social media engagement are new frontiers PR professionals must master to stay relevant. Still, he warned that no technology can replace human values of honesty, empathy, and responsibility in communication.
The Governor commended the Nigeria Customs Service and its spokesperson, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, for organising the workshop, which he described as a timely platform for advancing professionalism in PR practice.
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 said the institution was proud to host the workshop, describing it as a platform that “blends theory with practice in preparing officers for the demands of modern communication.”
Additionally, delivering a paper, Ike Neliaku, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), underscored the role of strategic communication in nation-building. He urged PROs to become institutional vision-bearers who “move beyond managing perception to actively shaping the credibility and trust upon which governance thrives.”
Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, the former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, spoke about the role of social media in public communication, advising officers to utilise online platforms as tools for transparency and accountability, while remaining vigilant against disinformation.
Other resource persons also expressed optimism that the four-day workshop would sharpen officers’ communication skills, deepen engagement with stakeholders, and strengthen the Customs Service’s image as a modern institution.
