The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has called for stronger collaboration with the media to enhance public understanding of its operations and build confidence in its ongoing reforms.
The call was made on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, during a media engagement organised ahead of the 2026 NCS Public Relations Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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The event was declared open by the Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’, Acting Assistant Comptroller-General Pascal Chibuoke, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Chibuoke urged media practitioners from the South-East and South-South zones to take advantage of the conference to deepen their understanding of the Service’s activities and help project its achievements.
He said, “Let us continue to project the positive image of the Nigeria Customs Service through effective communication and stronger public understanding of our statutory responsibilities.”
Also speaking, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, described journalists as key partners in national development.
Maiwada said effective communication was essential to the success of the reforms being implemented by the Service, noting that public support could not be secured without adequate information and trust.
According to him, “The reforms and innovations we are driving in the Nigeria Customs Service cannot succeed in isolation without public understanding and trust.”
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The Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, described the theme of the conference, “Realigning Corporate Communication as a Strategic Driver of Institutional Effectiveness and Public Trust,” as relevant to the current realities facing the Service.
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Atuluku commended the Comptroller-General for promoting effective communication and praised the National Public Relations Office for sustaining efforts to improve engagement between the Service and the public.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chief Superintendent of Customs Emmanuel Tangwa, said the decision to host the conference in Port Harcourt underscored the economic importance of the South-South region.
He said the gathering would provide an avenue for the Service to highlight its achievements, explain government policies and address public misconceptions about its operations.
“This engagement is more than a meeting. It provides an opportunity to share our achievements, explain our policies and correct misconceptions,” Tangwa said.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, Paul Bazia, commended the Customs Service for maintaining a cordial relationship with journalists.
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Bazia stressed that transparency was crucial to sustaining public confidence and pledged the commitment of journalists in the state to responsible and accurate reporting.
“Our responsibility is to communicate the truth and sustain public trust. As journalists in Rivers State, we will continue to work with the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure information is disseminated accurately, promptly and responsibly,” he said.
