The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to streamlining processes that will facilitate the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government’s food security initiative.
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, made this known on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja, during an official launch of a book titled: Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management.
The book, authored by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, highlights the CGC’s progressive public relations strategies.
Adeniyi pointed out that the aim is to ensure the swift importation of food items, adhering to costs reduction standards and lower consumer prices.
The book launch coincided with the second Economic Confidential Annual Lecture, where CGC Adeniyi further stressed the NCS’ commitment to addressing food security challenges through targeted measures to intensify agricultural production in the country.
“In line with our earlier highlighted vast agricultural potential, the government is actively providing incentives to farmers to increase food production, among other measures.
“There’s an ambitious target to cultivate more than 10 million hectares of land for food production. This initiative not only aims to boost our food security but also to leverage our abundant arable land, only 40 percent of which is currently cultivated,” he said.
He also noted that the Federal Government has taken bold steps to address the immediate challenge of high food prices by removing tariffs and other import duties on key staples such as rice, wheat, maize and sorghum for six months.
Adeniyi, who underscored the role of Customs as the gatekeeper of Nigeria’s international trade, also stressed the need to streamline processes to secure the nation’s food supply and support agricultural production.
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He further stated: “Let me reiterate a known fact about our vast agricultural potential: Nigeria boasts 84 million hectares of arable land, of which only 40 percent is currently cultivated, according to the 2017 Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) report on Boosting Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria. This presents an enormous opportunity for agricultural expansion.”
The Customs helmsman also commended the promoters of Image Merchants Promotion Limited for their dedication to publishing the book, recognizing it as a valuable contribution to advancing public relations within the Nigeria Customs Service.
Earlier, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Economy in the Office of the Vice President, Tope Fasua, who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima and served as Chairman of the occasion, addressed the gathering on the theme: Leveraging Effective Communication for Revenue Generation and Economic Development.
He applauded Image Merchants Promotion Limited, publishers of Economic Confidential magazine and other publications for their consistency in research and investigative journalism over the decades.
“The theme for today’s engagement is indeed timely and highly relevant. Leveraging effective communication for revenue generation and economic development is crucial for achieving the purposes of governance, which is economic and social development for people’s well-being,” he said.
The Vice President also commended the NCS for its role in safeguarding the nation’s borders and boosting the economy, noting: “We all know how important the contributions of the Nigeria Customs Service are as a regulator and facilitator of international trade and how it adds value to the country through public relations management.”
On his part, Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, Yushau Shauib, expressed deep appreciation for Adeniyi’s exceptional ability to engage and respect members of the fourth estate of the realm.
Shauib also applauded Adeniyi for his inclination towards maintaining strong relations with the media while upholding his responsibilities as the Comptroller-General of Customs.
He explained the rationale behind publishing the book, noting that it is a tribute to Adeniyi’s transformative leadership and commitment to transparent and effective public relations in the Customs Service.
Members of the NCS Management Team, key public relations stakeholders, industry experts and distinguished guests, who attended the book launch, shared insights on the importance of effective communication in public service.
