The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, September 22, 2025, declared open its annual Public Relations Officers (PRO) Workshop in Kano, with a strong charge to officers to embrace professionalism, resilience, and innovation in protecting the Service’s image and deepening stakeholder trust.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, 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.
Delivering the CGC’s keynote, Bomodi reminded participants that the Service operates at the “confluence of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security,” where every decision impacts citizens, businesses, and international partners.
“In such a sensitive environment, communication must go beyond announcements and ceremonies,” he stressed. “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 described the workshop theme, “Beyond Masters of Ceremony: The Strategic Role of Public Relations Officers for Institutional Growth and Stakeholder Trust”, as timely, repositioning PROs as policy interpreters, reputation managers, and mediators.
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 also hailed the partnership with Bayero University as “a bridge between scholarship and practice,” assuring officers that PR would remain a pillar of Customs reform. Declaring the workshop open, he charged participants:
“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.”
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, represented by his Director-General of Media, Sanusi Bature, commended the Customs Service for its role in revenue, trade, and national security. He stressed that integrity and fairness remain the heart of effective public relations, adding that “no technology can replace human values of honesty, empathy, and responsibility in communication.”
He further applauded the Service’s National PRO, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, for setting a benchmark in building public trust, while noting that digital tools, artificial intelligence, and social media engagement are new frontiers PR officers must master.
Bayero University Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna Musa, assured participants of the institution’s continued support for training and research, describing the workshop as a platform that “blends theory with practice in preparing officers for the demands of modern communication.”
Also delivering a paper, NIPR President, Ike Neliaku, urged PROs to move “beyond managing perception to actively shaping the credibility and trust upon which governance thrives.”
Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, emphasized the role of social media in accountability and transparency, warning against disinformation.
Resource persons expressed optimism that the four-day workshop would sharpen communication skills, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and reinforce Customs as a modern institution.
Customs Opens PR Workshop in Kano, Urges Officers to Build Trust and Integrity
