Ime Akpan
The comptroller general of customs of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Adewale Adeniyi has pledged the service’ commitment to facilitate President Bola Tinubu’s food security initiative.
Adeniyi made the pledge yesterday at in Abuja at the public presentation of a book entitled ‘Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management.”
He said the aim is to ensure the swift importation of food items, adhering to standards that reduce costs and lower consumer prices.
“In line with our earlier highlighted vast agricultural potential, the government is actively providing incentives to farmers to increase food production, among other measures,” he
“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% of which is currently cultivated,” he said.
Adeniyi also noted that the federal government had 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.
He underscored the vital role of customs as the gatekeeper of Nigeria’s international trade, empphasising the need to streamline processes to secure the nation’s food supply and support agricultural production.
“Let me reiterate a known fact about our vast agricultural potential: Nigeria boasts 84 million hectares of arable land, of which only 40 per cent 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,” he added.
He further expressed heartfelt appreciation to Image Merchants Promotion Limited for their dedication to publishing the book, recognising it as a valuable contribution to advancing public relations within the Nigeria Customs Service.
Earlier, the special adviser on economic affairs in the office of the vice president, Mr Tope Fasua, had delivered a paper entitled “Leveraging effective communication for revenue generation and economic development.”
Fasua who represented the vice president, Mr Kashim Shettima applauded Image Merchants Promotion Limited, the 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.
Shettima 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 NCS Service are as a regulator and facilitator of international trade—and how it adds value to the country through public relations management,” he added.
Written by Mr Yushau Shauib, chief executive officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, the book highlights the customs chief’s progressive public relations strategies.
The book launch coincided with the 2nd Economic Confidential Annual Lecture, where the comptroller-general further stressed the strong commitment of the Customs Service to addressing food security challenges through targeted measures to intensify agricultural production.
Shauib expressed his gratitude to Adeniyi for his “exceptional ability to engage and respect members of the fourth estate of the realm.”
He also praised Adeniyi for his unique ability to maintain strong relations with the media while upholding his responsibilities as the comptroller general of customs.
The author explained the rationale behind publishing the book, saying it is a tribute to Adeniyi’s transformative leadership and commitment to transparent and effective public relations within the customs service.
