Customs CG Adeniyi Wins Special IPRA Award in Greece, Hails Nigeria’s Grand Prix Victory
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has received a Special Award of Excellence at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards in Athens, Greece, in recognition of his contributions to transparent communication, stakeholder engagement and ethical public relations practice.
The award was presented at an international ceremony attended by communication professionals and representatives of public institutions from more than 70 countries, with Nigeria recording multiple honours, including the Grand Prix, the highest distinction of the night.
Adeniyi was recognised for his approach to strategic communication and public engagement, placing the Nigeria Customs Service alongside institutions and organisations from countries including Saudi Arabia, Poland and Germany that were honoured for their communication initiatives.
Other Nigerian award recipients included Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and LSF PR.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ROYAL NEWS shortly after receiving the award, Adeniyi described the recognition as international acknowledgment of the ongoing reforms within the Nigeria Customs Service.
He said the honour would encourage the Service to deepen its adoption of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, in public communication and stakeholder engagement.
“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 Nigeria Customs Service and more Nigerian agencies will feature prominently among global award recipients,” he said.
The Customs chief also celebrated Nigeria’s emergence as the winner of the IPRA Grand Prix, describing the achievement as an indication of the country’s growing participation in international strategic communication.
He stressed that government reforms could only achieve their intended impact when citizens and stakeholders understood their objectives, implementation challenges and expected benefits.
According to Adeniyi, effective communication remains essential to building public confidence, securing stakeholder cooperation and ensuring the successful implementation of institutional reforms.
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He explained that the NCS reform agenda aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly efforts to improve Nigeria’s trade competitiveness, facilitate exports and strengthen the country’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He identified port decongestion, automation of trade procedures, improved transparency and the elimination of administrative bottlenecks as key priorities of the Service.
The Comptroller-General cited the introduction of Advance Ruling as one of the measures designed to make international trade more predictable for importers.
Under the arrangement, traders can obtain advance decisions on customs classification, valuation and applicable duties, enabling them to make informed business decisions before importing goods.
He added that the Service was expanding automation to minimise opportunities for sharp practices, improve compliance, facilitate legitimate trade and strengthen revenue collection.
Adeniyi urged public relations practitioners within the NCS to intensify their strategic communication efforts and expand the responsible use of artificial intelligence in their campaigns.
He said the increasing complexity of international trade and public-sector administration required communication professionals to embrace innovation while maintaining transparency, professionalism and ethical standards.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the IPRA Grand Prix to IMPR for its campaign, AI for Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy, making the company the first Nigerian and West African public relations firm to receive the distinction.
The award-winning initiative originated from a research project conducted by IMPR’s Chief Executive Officer, Yushau A. Shuaib, in collaboration with NITDA and the Centre for Crisis Communication.
The project examined the growing threats of AI-driven misinformation, deepfakes and digital information disorder in Nigeria and translated its findings into a strategic communication initiative.
It informed the inaugural National Symposium on Digital Innovations in Crisis Communication and the proposed Crisis Communication Hub, designed to strengthen social listening, misinformation detection, early warning and coordinated responses to communication crises.
IMPR also received two Golden World Awards in the AI in Crisis Management and Publication categories in collaboration with NITDA which were received by Professor Yau Sule of IMPR and Hajiya Hadiza Umar of NITDA.
The honours secured by Adeniyi and other Nigerian recipients highlighted the country’s participation in the international awards, which recognise innovation, professional excellence and measurable achievements in public relations and strategic communication.
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