Nigeria Customs and the IPRA Award on Crisis Communication By Abdulsalam Mahmud
The management and entire staff of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are undoubtedly on cloud nine, basking in the euphoria of being honored as one of the world’s prominent institutions at the 2024 Golden World Award (GWA) ceremony.
The prestigious event, hosted by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), took place last month at the Metropol Palace Hotel in Belgrade, Serbia. As a law enforcement agency, the Customs Service was awarded the distinguished “GWA for Crisis Communication.”
It is fitting to congratulate the NCS, which, under Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has become a vibrant, proactive, and celebrated federal agency. Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs, is a seasoned and respected public relations officer and practitioner.
Since his appointment as CGC by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in July last year, Adeniyi has introduced and implemented sound reforms and policies that have significantly boosted the efficiency and professionalism of Customs officers. He has redefined leadership and administrative management at Customs Headquarters, particularly by skillfully deploying PR strategies and ethical guidelines that enable the NCS to effectively serve both the Nigerian government and its citizens.
Despite its successes, the Nigeria Customs Service, like its sister security and law enforcement agencies, occasionally finds itself entangled in various organizational crises. Adeniyi, as an acclaimed PR expert, effectively manages administrative challenges at the NCS without resorting to heavy-handed tactics or financial incentives to quell rising tensions. Instead, he deftly employs crisis communication strategies as powerful tools in his management approach.
Thus, the honor awarded to Customs under CGC Adeniyi at the 2024 GWA gala event was well-deserved. A particularly notable aspect of this achievement is that Adeniyi himself was present to receive the award for a campaign titled “100 Days of Impactful PR at Customs,” coordinated by Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential.
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Natasha Pavlovic Bujas, IPRA President, joyfully presented Adeniyi with the golden award plaque. The NCS campaign, which triumphed in the Crisis Management category, showcased the agency’s ability to navigate operational challenges, foster collaboration with key stakeholders, enhance border security, and significantly boost revenue generation.
Speaking at the IPRA award ceremony in Belgrade, Adeniyi highlighted the campaign’s impact, noting how it addressed critical challenges during his first 100 days in office. “The campaign was about crisis communication,” he said. “The entry submitted during this period was recognized as the best, based on how it addressed the campaign’s challenges, its impact, and the positive outcomes we have seen,” he added.
CGC Adeniyi reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs’ commitment to maintaining open communication channels with its partners. “Our focus remains on strengthening our relationships with both traditional and new stakeholders through continued strategic communication efforts,” he stated, underscoring the importance of listening to and addressing the concerns of those engaged with the Nigeria Customs Service.
Philip Sheppard, Secretary-General of IPRA, commended Adeniyi’s leadership, describing it as a critical factor in the campaign’s success. “Within just 100 days in office, the campaign led by Wale Adeniyi not only strengthened stakeholder collaboration and significantly improved border security but also resulted in a notable boost in revenue generation,” Sheppard said. “Moreover, it instilled a renewed sense of optimism and hope for the future within the organization.”
The Golden World Awards, established in 1990, celebrate excellence in public relations across a broad range of categories. More than just a plaque, the GWA affirms the power of strategic crisis communication in transforming public perception. The award bagged by the NCS at the 2024 GWA gala tells a story of resilience, careful strategy, and impactful communication.
Clearly, Nigeria Customs has demonstrated the power of connection and crisis management in driving positive change through intentional public relations efforts. Thanks to CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s leadership, the NCS has redefined its role beyond mere enforcement, embracing transparency and collaboration with critical stakeholders.
This achievement truly embodies the essence of Customs’ phenomenal progress under CGC Adeniyi, underscored by the IPRA Award on Crisis Communication.
*Mahmud, Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, wrote in via: [email protected].*
