The Nigeria Customs Service has reaffirmed its commitment to streamlining processes that will boost Federal Government’s food security initiative under President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking at the official presentation of a book entitled: “Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management”, authored by authored by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, which held in Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, assured that the Service is committed to boosting the government’s food security initiative. The book highlights the CGC’s progressive public relations strategies.

According to the CGC, the aim is to ensure the swift importation of food items, adhering to standards that reduce costs and lower consumer prices.

The book presentation 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.

“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 40per cent of which is currently cultivated”, Adeniyi said.

The CGC 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.

 While underscoring the vital role of Customs as the gatekeeper of Nigeria’s international trade, Adeniyi also emphasised the need to streamline processes to secure the nation’s food supply chain and support agricultural production.

He further stated: “Let me reiterate a known fact about our vast agricultural potential. Nigeria has at least 84 million hectares of arable land, of which only 40per 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.”

The CGC 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, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was the chairman of the occasion, addressed the gathering on the theme: “Leveraging Effective Communication for Revenue Generation and Economic Development.”

Represented by Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Economy in the Office of the Vice President, Tope Fasua, who represented the Vice President, 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.

He said: “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.”

The Vice President also commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its role in safeguarding the nation’s borders and boosting the economy.

He said: “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.”

Meanwhile, CEO, Image Merchants Promotion Limited, Yushau Shauib, who also spoke at the event, expressed deep appreciation for CGC Adeniyi’s exceptional ability to engage and respect members of the fourth estate of the realm.

Shauib also praised Adeniyi for his unique ability to maintain strong relations with the media while upholding his responsibilities as the Comptroller-General of Customs.

He further 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 within the Customs Service.

In attendance at the book presentation were distinguished guests, including members of the Customs management team, key public relations stakeholders, and industry experts, who shared insights on the importance of effective communication in public service as a whole.