The Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has announced plans to proactively create awareness about the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Adeniyi made this revelation while delivering a paper titled “The Nigeria Customs Service and the Public Relations Challenges” at the 17th International Public Relations Congress.
Highlighting the need for people to have a better understanding of the service’s operations, Adeniyi stated, “We have noticed that in many instances, people are ignorant of what we do, and it is this ignorance that leads them to criticize us impatiently.”
He went on to say, “Therefore, we will take deliberate action to raise awareness and provide insight into our work.”
Regarding the Customs Strategic Communication Plan, the Acting CGC emphasized the service’s commitment to maintaining a consistent and soothing voice that aligns with its overall corporate objectives.
Adeniyi explained, “We have always made it our practice to communicate our information effectively to the public by engaging with the media.”
The Customs Boss also highlighted the Customs Community Consultative forum as a valuable tool for resolving crises, particularly in border areas.
This forum brings together senior officers, management members of Area Commands in Customs, traditional institutions, community leaders, traders’ unions, and youth leaders.
Adeniyi emphasized, “Through this program, we engage regularly with traditional leaders, hold meetings with associations, traders, and youth leaders, engage in dialogue, and address their concerns by educating them about the laws, what is permissible, and what is not.”
He added, “We have laughed, prayed, and conversed with them without compromising our professionalism.”
Adeniyi further noted the success of the Customs Community Consultative forum in mitigating major issues causing conflicts along border areas, particularly in Ogun, Katsina, and Lagos states.
He confessed, “The secret to this success, dear friends, was not ammunition but communication.”
In addition to the communication forum, the Acting CGC highlighted the commitment of the service to community-oriented projects that benefit border communities and beyond.
Notable projects include the Karu Hospital, known as “The Flagship Customs CSR Program,” as well as the NCS Primary and Secondary School in Idiroko.
Adeniyi remarked, “We are also developing a deliberate recruitment plan for indigenes of border communities into the Nigeria Customs Service. We acknowledge that there are gaps, and we can do better.”
