Customs conference bridges academia, practice with student mentorship

By Onu Okorie

A joint panel of academics, communications experts and students took centre stage at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Public Relations Conference on Thursday, in a session aimed at bridging the gap between academic theory and professional practice.
The panel, held in Port Harcourt as the centrepiece of the conference’s second day, brought together students and scholars from Rivers State University, the University of Port Harcourt, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, and Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt.
Chief Superintendent of Customs Luqman Abdullahi-Lagos and Assistant Superintendent of Customs I Folusho Adeogun joined the conference, with the session moderated by Amina Yuguda, Head of Station at the Nigeria Customs Service Broadcasting Network. The panel offered practical career guidance and advocated the use of simulation exercises and role-play to prepare emerging public relations practitioners for modern communication challenges.
Addressing the audience, National Public Relations Officer and Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada stressed that effective public relations must prioritise continuous mentorship to build leaders capable of sustaining institutional trust. He urged younger officers and students to cultivate character, competence, clarity, consistency and cost-consciousness as foundational pillars for career progression.
“Effective public relations must extend beyond information dissemination to mentoring future leaders built on character, competence, and clarity,” DC Maiwada said.
The conference also featured practical masterclasses in which senior officers drew on ongoing Customs reforms as real-world learning tools. Assistant Superintendent of Customs I Usman Idris explained how strategic stakeholder engagement and media campaigns supported the rollout of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, while ASCI Joseph Adejoh highlighted transparency and early engagement strategies drawn from the implementation of the Advanced Ruling System and the One-Stop Shop.
In further technical sessions, the NCS Headquarters Social Media Team mentored participants on digital communication tools, audience analytics and proactive online reputation management.
Organisers said the mentorship-driven event reflects the Service’s broader strategy to build a modern, adaptable and forward-looking public relations workforce equipped to strengthen public confidence and support ongoing institutional reforms.