By: Felix Ikpotor
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday kickstarted its 2026 Public Relations Week in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State with a call for stronger collaboration with the media to enhance public trust, promote transparency and support ongoing reforms to booste trade facilitation, border security and national economic development.
Speaking at the event, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, appreciated the media for its continued support describing it as a critical partner in nation-building rather than a mere observer of government activities.
He noted that trust remain the foundation upon which the Nigeria Customs operates, stressing that the media plays a strategic role in shaping public perception and communicating government policies to citizens.
Maiwada said; “Effective communication, transparency and strategic collaboration are essential ingredients for institutional growth and national development,” he said.
He added that the NCS had embarked on major reforms in innovation and trade facilitation, noting that such initiatives could not succeed without accurate, timely and responsible dissemination of information by the media.
“The media serves as the bridge through which government policies, customs procedures, trade regulations and enforcement activities are communicated to stakeholders and the general public.
”This can only be achieved through balanced reportage,” he stated.
He urged journalists to sustain constructive engagement with the Service to promote public awareness, support economic growth, enhance border security and advance the federal government’s broader development objectives.
Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Emmanuel Tangwa, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for PR Week 2026, in his speech described the media parley as a strategic platform designed to strengthen transparency, professionalism and stakeholder engagement.
He said the gathering underscored the Service’s commitment to accountability and open communication at a time when information spreads rapidly and public confidence depends largely on credible and factual reporting.
Tangwa noted the event was historic as it was the first strategic media engagement hosted by the National Public Relations Office for the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones.
He said Port Harcourt was deliberately chosen because of its strategic position as one of Nigeria’s foremost maritime and commercial hubs, adding that the region remained critical to international trade, maritime security and the nation’s economic prosperity.
The LOC chairman also commended Deputy Comptroller Maiwada for what he described as exceptional leadership in repositioning the Public Relations Unit through proactive communication, stakeholder engagement and institutional transparency.
He urged journalists to continue promoting factual, balanced and development-oriented reporting capable of strengthening public confidence in the Nigeria Customs Service.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, Paul Bazia-Nsaneh, pledged the support of journalists to the NSC’s efforts at promoting transparency and national development.
Bazia said the Rivers NUJ had shifted its focus from crisis reporting to development journalism, stressing that strategic communication must be anchored on truth, openness and mutual understanding.
