The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reinforced its position as a frontrunner in strategic public engagement, joining leading voices across Africa at the 36th Annual Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), held from 9 to 13 June 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya. This year’s edition also marked APRA’s 50th anniversary a landmark celebration of five decades of advancing public relations in Africa.
Held at the PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort, the conference was themed “Transforming Africa through Safe and Responsible Digital Communication.” It convened over 500 stakeholders including communication scholars, policy-makers, corporate executives, and international development partners to shape the future of PR on the continent.
Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, represented the Service at the summit. He delivered a powerful presentation titled “Leveraging Data Analytics for Effective Public Relations Practice in the Nigeria Customs Service,” offering a deep dive into how data is transforming communication within the NCS.
“Public relations has moved from the era of assumptions to a profession guided by evidence,” AC Maiwada noted. “At Nigeria Customs, we apply data analytics not only to shape narratives but to measure impact, evaluate stakeholder perception, and inform our communication decisions.”
Maiwada credited the transformation to the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, under whom the Service has adopted a digital-first, proactive communication model aligned with global best practices.
He highlighted the integration of sentiment analysis, media intelligence tools, and real-time feedback systems as core elements of NCS’s communications framework ensuring the agency remains transparent, responsive, and reform-driven.
“The future of public sector communication lies in our ability to listen, adapt, and engage purposefully. We must lead with clarity, backed by verifiable data,” he emphasized.
The conference also spotlighted Nigeria’s successful bid to host APRA 2026, reinforcing the country’s strategic role in shaping the continent’s communication agenda.
Representing the Federal Government, Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, through the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Onilu, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to delivering a landmark event.
“Nigeria is deeply honoured by the confidence reposed in us to host APRA 2026,It is an opportunity not only to celebrate excellence but to reaffirm our resolve to use communication as a force for good across Africa.”Onilu said.
The Mombasa conference featured distinguished speakers including APRA President Arik Karani; Immediate Past President Yomi Badejo-Okusanya; Global Alliance President Prof. Justin Green; WCFA President Maxim Behar; and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) President, Dr. Ike Neliaku.
In her goodwill message, Esther Cobbah, President-elect of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), urged practitioners to build a unified African voice through communication rooted in credibility, equity, and development.
Dr. Neliaku, in a panel presentation titled “Navigating Good Governance and Development in Africa Through Responsible Digital Communication,” called on PR professionals to treat reputation and trust as the continent’s most valuable currencies in the digital age.
The Nigeria Customs Service’s participation in APRA @50 underscored its growing influence in Africa’s public relations landscape and reflects a broader commitment to transparency, innovation, and citizen-centered communication.
As the road to APRA 2026 begins, the NCS stand ready to play a defining role in shaping a data-driven and trust-based future for African public communication.
