The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has proudly received the Golden World Award for Crisis Management from the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) during a prestigious gala held at the Metropol Palace Hotel in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 15, 2024.
The award recognizes the transformative leadership of the NCS’s Comptroller General, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, whose strategic use of public relations tools in the first 100 days of his tenure significantly enhanced awareness, stakeholder collaboration, and citizen adherence to customs reforms.
In collaboration with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the NCS launched a comprehensive campaign that garnered widespread recognition and strengthened partnerships with stakeholders, resulting in enhanced border security and increased revenue generation for the country.
As a testament to its vital role in this successful initiative, Image Merchants was also honored at the awards ceremony, being recognized as the PR Agency of the Year for Crisis Management. IMPR is well-known for publishing influential platforms such as PRNigeria and Economic Confidential.
The award trophies were presented by IPRA President Nataša Pavlović Bujas, marking a significant achievement for Nigerian professionals on an international stage.
Philip Sheppard, the Secretary General of IPRA, commended Adeniyi’s visionary leadership, highlighting its crucial impact on the campaign’s success. “In just 100 days, Wale Adeniyi’s campaign not only fortified stakeholder collaboration and improved border security but also catalyzed a substantial increase in revenue, instilling renewed hope and optimism for the future,” Sheppard remarked.
Prior to his appointment as the head of the Customs Service, CGC Bashir Adeniyi served as the NCS’s longest-tenured spokesperson and held the esteemed positions of Vice President and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the regulatory body governing the field in Nigeria.
Commenting on the recognition of its clients, Yushau A. Shuaib, Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, stated, “We are thrilled that outstanding public relations campaigns, which have made a tangible positive impact, have been recognized on this global stage. We remain committed to supporting our stakeholders and clients through professionalism and excellent service delivery in public relations.”
Aside from NCS and IMPR, KFC South Africa was the only other African winner at the 2024 Golden World Awards, which featured entries from diverse countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, China, India, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Bulgaria, Singapore, Greece, Serbia, and more.
Founded in 1955, the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) serves as the premier global network for PR professionals. IPRA’s mission is to advance trusted communication and ethical practices in public relations. The association facilitates this through networking, adherence to a code of conduct, and the intellectual leadership of the profession.
Established in 1990, the annual Golden World Awards (GWA) celebrate PR excellence across various categories worldwide. GWA winners exemplify outstanding public relations efforts.
