Customs CG Adeniyi to Receive IPRA Award in Greece as Nigerian Agencies Make 2026 GWA Finals
Customs CG Adeniyi to Receive IPRA Award in Greece as Nigerian Agencies Make 2026 GWA Finals
The Comptroller‑General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, has been selected to receive the Special Recognition Award of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) at the 2026 Golden World Awards (GWA) scheduled for September 25, 2026, in Athens, Greece.
The announcement comes as three Nigerian institutions—the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC)—were shortlisted as finalists for the 2026 GWA for public relations campaigns executed in partnership with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of TimesNG and Spokespersons Digest. Similarly, a Lagos based communications agency, LSF PR has also been shortlisted for different categories of the awards.
Founded on May 1, 1955, in London, IPRA is the world’s oldest global association for public relations professionals. In 1990, it introduced the Golden World Awards as an annual international competition recognising outstanding achievements and excellence in public relations practice across diverse categories worldwide.
Adeniyi’s selection adds to a growing list of international honours earned by the Nigeria Customs Service under his leadership. The Service previously won IPRA Golden World Awards in Belgrade (2024) and Ghana (2025), while Adeniyi himself received the Certificate of Excellence for CEO of the Year at SABRE Africa 2026 in South Africa.
The latest honour was conveyed in a notification dated July 31, 2026, signed by IPRA Secretary‑General Philip Sheppard, who said the award recognises Adeniyi’s “outstanding contributions to public relations practice in Nigeria, his leadership in institutional communication, and his commitment to promoting professional excellence within the Nigeria Customs Service.”
Sheppard noted that the recognition reflects the remarkable achievements of the NCS under Adeniyi, including multiple IPRA Golden World Awards for communication excellence driven by strategies rooted in transparency, stakeholder engagement and effective public communication.
IPRA further commended the Customs chief for strengthening public trust, advancing crisis‑communication systems and promoting international best practices—efforts it said have significantly enhanced Nigeria’s reputation within the global communication community.
Adeniyi is expected to receive the award in person at the Golden World Awards ceremony at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, where communication professionals from around the world will gather to celebrate excellence in public relations and strategic communication.
“We look forward to welcoming you to Athens as we celebrate your achievements and your outstanding service to the communication profession,” Sheppard wrote.
By TimesNG