The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has received the prestigious Golden World Award (GWA) for Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management, marking yet another international recognition for its strategic communication excellence.
The award was presented at the 2025 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Gala held at the Mövenpick Hotel in Accra, Ghana, where top global communication leaders gathered to celebrate innovation in public relations.
NCS Recognised for Strategic, Transparent Communication
According to a statement by Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS spokesperson, the award-winning entry was a scholarly publication authored by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, documenting the progressive communication reforms championed by Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
The publication, he said, has evolved into a strategic communication framework now referenced in public relations scholarship and professional practice across Nigeria’s public sector.
“This award validates our 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, trust-building, and institutional credibility.”
Maiwada, who received the award on behalf of the service, noted that the recognition affirms the NCS’s dedication to proactive communication and public accountability in customs management.
Global Recognition of Leadership and Reform
Philip Sheppard, Secretary-General of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), commended the NCS’s approach to communication as a case study in PR leadership and governance innovation.
“The publication showcases real-life applications of strategic communication drawn from the reforms of Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi,” Sheppard said.
The accolade was conferred as part of the Public Relations Knowledge Sharing Conference, themed “Global Realities and Innovative Communication”, held from October 1 to 3, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Sustained Excellence in Global Reputation Management
This marks the second consecutive year that the Nigeria Customs Service has won the Golden World Award, following its 2024 recognition in Belgrade, Serbia, for Crisis Management.
The 2025 honour, focused on Impactful Public Relations, underscores the NCS’s growing influence as a benchmark for communication innovation among African public institutions.
It also highlights the service’s continued effort to build trust through open engagement, transparency, and technology-driven reforms — key pillars of its modernization agenda under Adeniyi’s leadership.
About the Golden World Awards
Established in 1990, the Golden World Awards (GWA) are administered by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) to celebrate excellence in global public relations practice.
The awards cover diverse categories including crisis management, corporate responsibility, public sector communication, and digital engagement, recognising organisations that set the standard for professional PR across the world.
BRANDECONOMY INSIGHT: Communication as a Tool for Institutional Reform
The Nigeria Customs Service’s back-to-back GWA victories reaffirm a critical truth — strategic communication is now central to institutional transformation and public trust.
By shifting from bureaucratic opacity to proactive transparency, NCS has not only improved public perception but also strengthened compliance and stakeholder collaboration.
Its success story reflects a new model of governance in which information management and public engagement become catalysts for operational excellence.
BRANDECONOMY TAKEAWAY
The Nigeria Customs Service is proving that credibility, transparency, and communication excellence can redefine public service in Africa.
With its second international GWA honour, the NCS is not only setting a global benchmark for customs administration but also showcasing Nigeria as a rising leader in institutional public relations and governance innovation.
