…Adeniyi pledges deeper use of AI in Customs communication
By Seun Ibiyemi
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has received a Special Award of Excellence at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards in Athens, Greece.
Adeniyi received the recognition on Friday, September 25, 2026, in honour of the Customs Service’s strategic approach to public communication, stakeholder engagement and ethical public relations in advancing its ongoing institutional reforms.
The award recognises efforts by the NCS to improve transparency, modernise Customs operations and communicate reforms aimed at strengthening trade facilitation and enhancing engagement with stakeholders.
Receiving the award, Adeniyi described the recognition as an international endorsement of the reform efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service.
He said the honour would encourage the Service to expand its use of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, in communicating with the public and engaging stakeholders.
“We have started using AI tools in our public communication, and we view this recognition as an invitation to do more. By 2027, we hope the NCS and more Nigerian agencies will feature prominently among global award recipients,” he said.
The Customs chief stressed that effective communication remained essential to the success of government reforms, noting that citizens and stakeholders needed to understand the objectives of reforms, challenges associated with their implementation and the benefits expected from them.
Adeniyi said the NCS reform agenda was aligned with the economic policies of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly measures aimed at improving Nigeria’s trade competitiveness, facilitating exports and strengthening the country’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said transparent communication and continuous engagement with stakeholders were necessary to build understanding and confidence around the reforms being implemented by the Service.
The Customs boss also celebrated Nigeria’s performance at the IPRA awards, describing the country’s achievements as evidence of its growing participation in international strategic communication.
Nigeria also recorded another major achievement at the event, with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, winning the IPRA Grand Prix.
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The company won the top recognition for its campaign titled “AI for Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy.”
The campaign was developed from a research project led by IMPR Chief Executive Officer, Yushau Shuaib, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Centre for Crisis Communication.
The research examined emerging challenges associated with artificial intelligence, including misinformation, deepfakes and digital information disorder, before translating the findings into a strategic communication initiative.
Earlier, IPRA President Esther Cobbah said the return of the awards to Athens carried special significance because the city was where the association developed its Code of Conduct for public relations practice six decades ago.
She said the 2026 gathering provided an opportunity to celebrate individuals, agencies and organisations that had applied ethical communication principles while delivering excellence in their respective fields.
“Sixty years ago, in Athens, we built the code of ethics for public relations practice. Today, we have come back to Athens to see how we have deployed those ethics in our work,” Cobbah said.
The recognition of Adeniyi and the Grand Prix won by IMPR highlight the growing role of strategic communication, technology and ethical public relations in supporting institutional reforms and managing the increasingly complex digital information environment.
