Customs: effective communication key to sustaining border reforms

By Onu Okorie

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has identified strategic communication and stakeholder engagement as critical to the success of its ongoing reforms, as the Service pledged support for Nigeria’s hosting of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF).
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made the position known on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when a delegation from the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) visited him at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.
The delegation was led by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Alliance, Professor Justin Green, and the NIPR President and Chairman of Council, Ike Neliaku.
Adeniyi said effective communication was important in ensuring that traders, businesses and other stakeholders understood the reforms being implemented by the Service and could engage with them more predictably.
Among the initiatives highlighted by the CGC were B’Odogwu, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and Advance Ruling.
According to him, the reforms are designed to improve Customs processes, provide greater predictability for legitimate traders and strengthen relations between the Service and stakeholders.
“The Nigeria Customs Service recognised the importance of the World Public Relations Forum and its potential to bring global attention to responsible communication, institutional trust and effective public service,” Adeniyi said.
He pledged the Service’s support for the November event and its contribution towards its successful hosting.
The emphasis on communication comes as the NCS continues to introduce reforms that require increased interaction with businesses and other stakeholders. The Service’s position suggests that the effectiveness of such measures depends not only on implementation but also on how clearly their objectives and procedures are communicated to those affected.
Nigeria prepares for global communication gathering
The 2026 WPRF is scheduled to take place in Abuja from November 15 to 21 under the theme, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World.”
Green said Nigeria’s hosting of the forum would provide an opportunity to showcase the country’s cultural heritage, communication industry and approaches to public relations to an international audience.
He said representatives from all 126 member countries of the Global Alliance were expected to attend the forum.
According to him, the gathering would also create opportunities for knowledge-sharing, professional collaboration and discussions on the future of communication.
The NIPR President, Neliaku, said the Institute was engaging government agencies, institutions and other stakeholders ahead of the event because their participation would be important to its success.
He said the Institute’s ambition was to deliver what he described as the “best, biggest, and brightest” edition of the World Public Relations Forum, while demonstrating Nigeria’s capacity to host a major international professional gathering.
Customs role in stakeholder relations
For the Customs Service, participation in the forum provides an opportunity to connect its ongoing institutional reforms with wider discussions around public-sector communication and trust.
The B’Odogwu initiative, AEO programme and Advance Ruling are among the measures cited by the Service in its efforts to modernise operations and make procedures more predictable for compliant businesses.
Adeniyi’s remarks placed communication alongside these operational reforms, suggesting that keeping stakeholders informed and maintaining dialogue with the business community remain important components of the Service’s reform agenda.
With the WPRF expected to draw participants from across the global public relations community, the November gathering will also give Nigerian institutions an international platform to discuss how communication can support public-sector reform, institutional credibility and engagement with citizens and businesses.