By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has received international recognition for its outstanding communication practices, earning the Golden World Award (GWA) for Impactful PR in Customs Management at the 2025 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Gala held on Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Mövenpick Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The award, presented by IPRA President Nataša Pavlović Bujas during the Golden World Awards Gala Night, honoured the NCS for its achievements in impactful public relations within customs management.
The winning project, produced by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, highlights the communication strategies of the Comptroller-General of Customs and has become a model for public relations research and practice in Nigeria.
Philip Sheppard, Secretary-General of IPRA, explained that the publication provides practical communication strategies for institutions and showcases real-life leadership lessons derived from the reforms implemented by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Service, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, expressed gratitude to IPRA for the recognition, noting that it reflects the Service’s dedication to transparency and credible communication.
“This award is a validation of the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to professionalism, transparency, and stakeholder engagement,” Maiwada said.
“Under the leadership of the Comptroller-General, we have repositioned communication as a strategic tool for reform and trust-building.”
The recognition marks another milestone for the NCS, which had earlier won the 2024 GWA for Crisis Communication at the IPRA Gala in Belgrade, Serbia.
The 2025 award further underscores the agency’s consistency in innovation and effective reputation management.
The award ceremony was part of a three-day Public Relations Knowledge Sharing Conference held from October 1 to 3, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The event, themed “Global Realities and Innovative Communication,” attracted prominent communication experts, including Dr. Ike Neliaku, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); Nataša Pavlović Bujas, President of IPRA; Arik Karani, President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA); and Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana.
At the closing session, Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, called on public relations professionals to maintain integrity and excellence in their work.
“As communicators, you hold the power to shape narratives and influence public trust,” President Mahama said. “Our continent needs professionals who communicate with integrity, clarity, and purpose to support national development.”
Ghana’s Vice President, Jane Nana, also commended the award recipients for their contributions to advancing global communication practice.
The event concluded with Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah being inaugurated as the new President of the International Public Relations Association, succeeding Nataša Pavlović Bujas.
Her appointment as the first African to lead the 70-year-old global body represents a major milestone and a source of pride for communication professionals across the continent.