By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has pledged its support for the successful hosting of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), stressing the importance of strategic communication in driving institutional reforms, strengthening public trust and improving engagement with stakeholders.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made the commitment on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when a delegation led by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, Professor Justin Green, and the President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, paid a courtesy visit to the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.
The visit formed part of engagements by the organisers with key government institutions and stakeholders ahead of the international forum, which is scheduled to hold in Abuja from November 15 to 21, 2026.
The forum, organised under the theme, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” is expected to bring together public relations and communication professionals, policymakers, academics, business leaders and other stakeholders from across the world.
Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service recognised the significance of the World Public Relations Forum and its potential to draw global attention to the role of responsible communication, institutional trust and effective public service.
He assured the delegation that the Service would support the forthcoming event and contribute to its successful hosting in Nigeria.
According to him, strategic communication has become an important component of the reforms being implemented by the Nigeria Customs Service, particularly in communicating changes to stakeholders and ensuring that legitimate businesses understand new processes and procedures.
The Customs boss highlighted some of the major reforms undertaken by the Service, including the B’Odogwu digitalisation initiative, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and Advance Ruling, describing them as part of broader efforts to modernise Customs operations.
He said the initiatives were designed to improve the efficiency and transparency of Customs processes, provide greater predictability for legitimate traders and strengthen relationships between the Service and the business community.
Adeniyi said effective communication was critical to ensuring that reforms were properly understood and adopted by stakeholders, adding that public institutions must be able to communicate their policies and reforms in ways that promote confidence and cooperation.
“The Nigeria Customs Service recognised the importance of the World Public Relations Forum and its potential to bring global attention to responsible communication, institutional trust and effective public service,” he said.
“I want to assure you of the Service’s support for the forthcoming event and its commitment to contributing to its success.”
Speaking on the significance of Nigeria hosting the 2026 edition of the global forum, Professor Justin Green said the event would represent a major milestone for the country and the public relations profession in Africa.
Green said bringing the forum to Nigeria would provide an opportunity to showcase the country’s cultural heritage, communication industry and innovative approaches to public relations before an international audience.
He also said the gathering would create opportunities for knowledge-sharing, professional collaboration and global dialogue on emerging trends and the future of communication.
According to him, representatives of all 126 member countries of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management are expected to attend the forum.
“We are expecting all the 126 member countries of the Global Alliance to grace this forum,” Green said.
He noted that the international participation would further expose Nigeria’s public relations and communication professionals to global best practices while providing opportunities for Nigerian practitioners to share their experiences with counterparts from other parts of the world.
Earlier, the NIPR President, Ike Neliaku, said the Institute was engaging major government institutions, professional bodies and other stakeholders ahead of the forum because their participation and support would be critical to the success of the international gathering.
Neliaku described the NIPR’s ambition for the Abuja edition as delivering the “best, biggest, and brightest” World Public Relations Forum, while demonstrating Nigeria’s capacity to successfully host a major global professional event.
He said the forum would provide a platform for discussions on responsible communication and its role in shaping societies, institutions and international relations.
The NIPR President disclosed that the forum would hold in Abuja from November 15 to 21, 2026, under the theme, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World.”
The engagement with the Nigeria Customs Service is part of wider stakeholder mobilisation by the NIPR and the Global Alliance ahead of the forum.
The organisers are expected to use the event to examine contemporary challenges facing the global communication industry, including the changing media environment, public trust, institutional reputation, technological innovation and the responsibilities of communication professionals.
For Nigeria, the hosting of the forum is also expected to provide an opportunity to project its professional, cultural and economic capacities to an international audience.
The Customs Service’s involvement is particularly significant given the growing role of communication in explaining reforms in trade facilitation, border management and revenue administration.
With reforms such as B’Odogwu, AEO and Advance Ruling seeking to improve the interaction between Customs and legitimate businesses, effective communication remains central to ensuring that stakeholders understand the changes and can take advantage of the opportunities created by the modernisation of the Service.
The November forum is therefore expected to bring together global perspectives on how strategic and responsible communication can strengthen institutions, improve stakeholder relations and build public confidence in government and other organisations.
