By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deepened its push for institutional integrity and public trust as it extended its Reputation Management Campaign to Zone ‘C’ with a capacity-building workshop for officers across the zone.
Held at the Zone ‘C’ Headquarters in Port Harcourt, the workshop brought together selected officers for a train-the-trainer session aimed at equipping them with practical strategies for embedding professionalism, transparency and accountability in their respective commands.
In his keynote address, Comptroller Chika Dim of the Eastern Marine Command commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Management Team for championing an initiative that links the Service’s operational efficiency to its public image. “Officers today are fortunate to serve under a forward-looking leadership,” he said. “But true success will only come from the deliberate effort we invest in protecting and managing the Service’s reputation. The Reputation Management Guide must not be seen as a document to shelve but as a compass for daily decision-making.”
Earlier, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, underscored that reputation remains one of the Service’s most valuable yet intangible assets. “Reputation is not given; it is earned through transparency, accountability, and effective communication,” he noted, adding that every officer contributes to how the Nigeria Customs Service is perceived by the public and stakeholders.
In her closing remarks, Comptroller Teressa Ezenwa praised the organisers and participants, stressing that the campaign goes beyond learning and aims to cultivate a service-wide culture. “Reputation is not built in a day,” she said. “It requires consistency, professionalism and respect for the values our Service stands for. We must be intentional in how we conduct ourselves and how we serve the public.”
The session featured interactive breakout discussions where officers applied the principles of the Reputation Management Guide to real-life operational scenarios. As the workshop ended, participants expressed readiness to champion the integrity campaign within their respective formations, affirming Zone ‘C’s alignment with the Service’s renewed commitment to institutional reputation and public trust.
